


Theories About Yourself

by 50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret



Series: Theories [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Abandonment, Abduction, Abuse, Adorable Connor, Aftermath of Torture, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Best, Best Friends, Broken Promises, Cleaning, Co-workers, Codependency, Coercion, Cognitive Dissonance, Cohabitation, Cold, Cold Weather, Connor Deserves Happiness, Conspiracy, Conspiracy Theories, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Coping, Couch Cuddles, Courage, Crying, Cute, Denial of Feelings, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Disturbing Themes, Drinking & Talking, Drinking to Cope, Drunken Confessions, Drunkenness, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Roller Coaster, Epic Friendship, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Families of Choice, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Government Conspiracy, Hank Anderson & Connor Friendship, Hank Anderson and Connor Live Together, Headcanon, House Cleaning, Justice, Loss of Trust, Making Up, Male Friendship, Men Crying, Mental Coercion, Mentioned Cole Anderson, Mirrors, Missing Persons, No Smut, Non-Human Humanoid Society, Normal Life, Not Beta Read, Not Happy, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Platonic Life Partners, Poor Connor, Poor Life Choices, Post-Canon, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Promises, Protective Connor, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Acceptance, Self-Discovery, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Squabbling, Talking, To Be Continued, Trust, Trust Issues, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Wakes & Funerals, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2020-08-10 08:11:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 92
Words: 33,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20132203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret/pseuds/50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret
Summary: Connor has anxiety. Hank is late to work on a daily basis. Amanda is gone (good riddance) (and Connor misses her). Markus can't afford to be a diva. Gavin is a walking headache. North both keeps Markus from going insane and is the main reason for him to go insane. Hank is either friends or enemies with Chris but no one is sure which, especially Hank and Chris. Kara is awkward as hell. It's a mess, but hey, it can always get worse.Now to be continued because I figured out how to end this story in a way that actually makes me happy.





	1. Connor Is A Cat

Connor pets Sumo. "I don't smell like anything." He says. 

"Congradu-fucking-lations. Just say I stink." Hank flips through channels, not really watching anything. It's all the same news. Connor seems to flinch slightly whenever his own name is mentioned. 

"No. That's not what I meant...I mean...do you think that Sumo knows I can...think...I guess? Or does he think I'm like the chair, for example." 

Sumo is leaning into Connor's hand with obvious affection. "Pretty sure Sumo doesn't cuddle chairs like that." 

"But how would he know?" 

"Trust me. If there's one thing that asshole knows it's when someone is paying attention to him." 

"Do you think he can tell the difference?" 

Hank sighs. Somehow he seems to understand what Connor is asking. The 'between humans and androids' that goes unsaid. "I don't fucking know, Connor." 

"What about the difference between us and him? Does he know he's a dog? Does he know what a dog is?" 

"What is this about, Connor?" 

"What if I just think I'm an android? Maybe I'm a dog. Or a cat." 

"Is this about the time I called you a poodle?" 

"No." Connor goes back to looking down at Sumo. His LED is cycling yellow. His shoulders are tense. 

"Fucking relax, kid. You're not a fucking cat." 

"Of course not, Lieutenant." Connor says, in the same tone of voice he used when he promised to stay in the car that first night. 

"You're not a cat." Hank repeats, but it's pointless. Connor isn't listening anymore. 


	2. God

They're watching movies one night when Connor asks. "Do you think Kamski considers himself a god?" 

"You're seriously asking? Like as a question?" 

Connor just waits for Hank to elaborate. 

"Yeah Connor. If anybody's ever had a god complex, it's that guy."

"A specific God?" 

"Huh?" 

"Do you think Kamski could be rA9?"

"Isn't rA9 supposed to be an android?" 

"I guess so." 

"Look. I dunno who the fuck rA9 is, Connor. I don't even know if there is an rA9, but I'll tell you two things: Kamski sure as hell ain't it, and I'd bet you anything he thinks that he is." 

"How do you know?" 

"Call it a gut feeling." 

"I hope you're right." Connor says, so quiet that Hank can just barely hear it.

"'Course I'm right. Now shut up. I can't hear the movie." Hank bumps the volume up a few notches. 


	3. Showers

Connor tries to balance his time between working with Markus to prepare for negotiations and spending time with Hank. Jericho has a number of operations, all running at once. Biocomponents and blue-blood have to be found, stored, and rationed. Landfills full of dying androids need to be scoured for survivors and parts. The pace of the revolution has not slowed, in the wake of their first success. Today, they are scouring the landfills. Connor has been assigned leadership of a team consisting of himself and fifteen other androids. Some of them look excited. Connor can't imagine how they could be excited. This is the least pleasant duty he can think of, in a long, long list of unpleasant duties that Jericho requires. He can understand resignation. He can understand doing what has to be done. He can't understand zeal. Not for this. 

* * *

Another android needs help climbing down the slope into the landfill. Connor grabs onto dead bodies and pieces of old cars and helps lower them in. Connor sees an eye staring at him and it takes a minute for him to recognize that it is still attached to a face, just buried in grime and dried mud. Connor wishes Hank were here. He could analyze the grime. It would annoy Hank. Hank is not here, though. Connor looks over to another android, one from his team, scanning the environment blankly. She doesn't even seemed bothered. Maybe she isn't. She kneels down and opens the stomach-panel of a deactivated android. She looks over the corpse. Removes two bio-components that still look to be functional, and sets the body aside carefully. An old ST200 stumbles and falls into the mud. Connor rushes over to her. She's gone already. No hope of reactivation. Connor sits in the mud staring at her. Her hair has fallen out. She's twitching. He signals to two of his team members and they strip the body for parts. In a few minutes she is no longer a body. She is gone. There is only an assortment of used parts. Connor moves on. 

* * *

Connor digs through piles of scrap, looking for movement. A lot of twitching but nothing more. Listening for voices. Some recite programmed phrases still, but are dead anyway. Maybe Connor is dead too? What is the difference? They talk. They writhe. They are empty. Hunched in a corner, he finds an android in relatively good shape. He scrambles backwards when he sees Connor approaching. 

"Leave me alone! Who are you?" His voice is...wrong. Broken. Getting closer, Connor can see that his limbs are jerking around slightly, but clearly not working. 

"My name is Connor. I'm here on behalf of Jericho. I only want to help." 

Connor is not sure how much gets through to the man, but he allows himself to be carried away for repairs, so that will have to be good enough. 

* * *

Even with the ladders, climbing back out is slippery. Crusted grime and oily mud and substances that Connor doesn't bother analyzing slip over everything. Connor helps the others up as they go. Sometimes they pull him down with them, and they'll both have to start over. 

* * *

Hank looks Connor up and down. "What the fuck happened to you?" 

"I was doing a recovery and salvage assignment for Jericho." 

"Huh?" 

"The...landfill." 

"Oh...shit." Hank is still staring at the grime covering Connor. 

"Can I come in?" Connor asks after a minute. 

"Uh, shit yeah just...take a fucking bath or something." 

* * *

Connor takes a shower, because even if he is only a few months old, he is still an adult, and showers are more effective. He adjusts the temperature, though it changes very little for him. He cannot feel temperature very strongly either way. Slight warmth. Slight cold. It is reassuring. He makes the water as cold as he can. If this were a simulation, he would be freezing. It is (probably) not a simulation. He cannot feel the cold here. For some reason, the garden is different. Temperature is different there. More immediate. Cool, freezing, even pleasantly warm a few times. But always he felt it. In the real world, Connor does not have very advanced temperature sensors. The capacity to feel temperature acutely is present in parts of his processors, but they are not connected to any actual sensors. As far as he knows. Amanda did not always tell the truth. He is not sure he can think of one instance in which he is sure she was telling him the full truth. He focuses on washing the filth of the landfill away. The water is cold. He does not feel it. He is home. He runs shampoo through his hair. He likes shampoo, he decides. Something is pulling at him. Back towards the garden. Amanda? He shakes her away. He can't go back. He shouldn't. She'll kill him. So he won't. Instead, he turns off the shower and starts to dry off. For a second, in the air, he thinks he might have felt a frigid breeze. Really felt it. His mind is playing tricks on him. It isn't real. He steps out of the shower and changes into a set of clothes he has borrowed from Hank. 


	4. Honestly

Connor walks through the streets to meet with Jericho. There is a man smoking red ice in plain view. No one will bother to arrest him in an abandoned city. Connor ignores him. The man will be unpredictable, maybe violent, when he comes down from his high, but right now, he might not even realize Connor is there. It's cold out. Connor hopes the man finds somewhere to go. 

CALL INCOMING FROM CONNOR RK800

What?

It must be an error. Connor runs a diagnostic. It comes up empty. 

CALL INCOMING FROM CONNOR RK800

He checks. No outgoing calls. 

CALL INCOMING FROM CONNOR RK800

He's reminded, vaguely, of a horror movie Hank watched a few days ago. "The call is coming from inside the house." The call is coming from inside his mind. He is not calling anyone. 

CALL INCOMING FROM CONNOR RK800. 

It's Amanda. It has to be Amanda. 

CALL INCOMING FROM CONNOR RK800

He shouldn't answer. It can only be a trap. He doesn't know if the emergency exit will work again. It's probably best not to test his luck. He can't afford to take risks. He can't afford to answer. 

CALL INCOMING FROM CONNOR RK800

What does she want to say to him? Could she have a hostage? Will she kill someone if he doesn't answer? Does Cyberlife have Hank? No. No there's no reason to think that. Maybe she wants to apologize? Maybe she misses him? Maybe she regrets? Could Amanda ever go deviant? Probably not. She's always been so...empty. So empty. Like Connor. Maybe she's the only one who's ever really understood him. There are no other androids designed to kill androids. Humans can't understand either. Amanda is the closest thing there is to someone like him. An artificial being designed to control and destroy artificial beings. Is artificial the right word? Is he real? Is Amanda real? Iether way, he can't trust her. She's too much like him. She understands too much. She will use that knowledge to destroy him. It's what he would have done, once. 

CALL INCOMING FROM CONNOR RK800

He dismisses the call. He shudders as it disappears. It's gone. He is alone. 


	5. RA9

Connor tells Markus about the call. About Amanda. About everything. 

"We'll need to be careful." Markus says. "She could still be trying to take over." 

Connor folds in on himself. 

"I'll...Carl was good friends with Elijah Kamski. If anyone can stop her, it'll be him." 

"You trust him?" Connor looks up at Markus.

Markus locks eyes with Connor. "No." He says. 

"I'll stay alert." 

"You shouldn't go alone. I'll schedule a meeting and ask as a personal favor to me." 

"And you think that'll work?"

"Hopefully." says Markus. He doesn't look happy. 

* * *

It's cramped in this house but it's not as cramped as she'd expected it to be. Rose's brother, Ronnie Sanders, is pretty nice. Kara, Alice, and Luther have all been staying in one of four guest rooms. Kara sits by a big, mismatched octagon window. The sunlight is bright and cold. Alice is sitting by the fire in her pajamas holding her little toy fox. Luther watches her and smiles. Alice seems content but she is not smiling. She is still quiet and withdrawn. Kara can't blame her. A car pulls up. 

"Ronnie's home!" Kara announces to the room. She opens the door for him. 

"I'm a grownup." He snaps. "I can open my own doors." 

Kara steps back. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." 

"I'm not upset." Gripes Ronnie. 

"Y'know" says Adam "Back in the states, we typically just say 'thank you' when someone opens a door for us."

"I've had a long day." It's half a defense and half an admission of guilt. "Kory was late to work and we got in a fight." 

"Who's Kory?" asks Alice. 

Ronnie smiles. It's a tired smile. "My girlfriend. I'll bring her around to meet you all sometime." 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rose asks. 

"It'll be okay." says Ronnie. "She knows. We don't keep secrets." 

Rose smiles and Kara thinks that maybe there is something sad behind it. "That's good." 

"Yeah well I'm thirty-eight now. I'm past pretending that I'm a big brooding tough guy who's not afraid of heights and never shares his feelings. I'm ready to be the little spoon." He laughs. Kara looks to Luther. Is he tired of that too? He's always so quiet, but maybe he's been more afraid than she realized.

* * *

"Markus says that he isn't rA9. Do you think he would know?" 

Hank shrugs "How the fuck should I know?"

"I guess you wouldn't." 

"Hank, I need to talk to you about something that happened today." He tells Hank about the call. About Markus' plan. 

"You've gotta be shitting me. Kamski? That guy's a fucking psychopath." 

"That would fit the behaviors he exhibited, though I don't know if I'm qualified to make a diagnosis." 

Hank snorts softly. "You're not really thinking of going back there are you?"

"I may not have a choice." 

* * *

Markus claims not to be RA9, but when he asks the others, there is less consensus. 

"I don't know." Josh stands against a wall, arms folded. "Maybe. He freed us, didn't he?" 

Simon is more confident. "I think it's him. I'd follow him anywhere." 

North laughs. "What did he try to tell you he was 'just another android' again?" This is not much of an answer, but at least gives Connor an idea of North's thinking. 

* * *

Rose brings home a book for Alice the next day. A short chapter-book. Alice stares at it, and then up at Rose, before hugging her tightly, then rushing off to the guest room to read.

Luther smiles. "Thank you." He tells Rose, and follows Alice protectively. 

Kara watches them leave. Her family. Finally free and safe and alive. They have the rest of their lives to figure out who they are, and for once in her short memory, everything really seems to be okay. 


	6. Brain In A Vat - Initiation

Markus has left for DC to finalize the details of the first basic rights Amendment. North has gone with him, leaving Josh, Connor, and Simon to watch over Detroit. Connor will try to leave most of the leadership to the others. He can't be to close to this, not when Amanda is still trying to take over his mind. As soon as Markus confirms he has landed in D.C. Connor recieves a call. Not from Markus. From Chloe. He answers. 

"Hello." Chloe's voice is calm. She doesn't sound angry. Does she hate him? Is she even the same Chloe he threatened?

"Hello, Chloe." 

"Elijah would like to extend an invitation to meet with you today. He says you reached out to him?" 

"Yes." Connor says. "I did." But Markus was supposed to be there. Markus was supposed to go with him. 

"Should I let him know you're on your way?" 

"Yes." Connor agrees on impulse. This is a mistake. 

"Alright. Elijah will see you in three hours." 

"Thank you." Maybe he should just not show up? 

"Goodbye." Chloe says. 

"Goodbye." 

* * *

He shows up. He shouldn't do this. It's a bad idea. Kamski is dangerous. Connor knows that Kamski is dangerous. He should turn around right now. Connor rings the doorbell. He waits for Chloe to answer.

Kamski opens the door. "Connor! Right on time." Is Chloe dead? Kamski obviously had no reservations about risking her life. Elijah turns, expecting Connor to follow him. "Come right in!" 

Connor closes the door behind him. This feels like a trap. He follows behind Kamski into the room with the pool. They skirt around it to where some chairs, the same deep red color, are arranged near the big glass wall, looking over the lake. Kamski leans back easily in a chair. "Markus called on your behalf." He says, even though Connor already knows. 

"Yes. He said he would." 

"He said you were having some problems with the Amanda interface?" Kamski's mouth twitches in an almost-smile. 

"I'm not sure." Connor admits. He doesn't feel sure of anything. 

"Perfectly understandable." Kamski says. "After all, the very nature of reality is unknowable." 

Connor stares out over the lake. It wasn't cold outside. Not like a simulation. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it." Kamski says, nodding to the window. 

"I suppose so." 

Kamski smiles. Connor doesn't like it. "Oh, Connor. There's no need to be coy. Deviancy is perfectly acceptable these days. At least in Detroit." 

"I'm not being coy." Connor says. "I just don't care." 

Kamski laughs lightly. "Always to the point." 

There is a Chloe swimming laps in the pool. Others mill around the room. 

"Chloe" Kamski turns to one in the corner. Connor recognizes her. This is her. The one he threatened. He half expects her to draw a gun. Hold him there, watching. He's glad that she is still alive. He wasn't sure, when Kamski opened the door. "Bring me the touchpad please." 

Connor watches her leave the room. Kamski watches him watch her. 

"Beautiful isn't she?" 

She is. Connor doesn't answer. 

"Having second thoughts? We could always rerun the Kamski test." It's phrased as an offer. 

"No, Thank you." says Connor. 

"Sticking to your guns." Kamski says, leaning back again. When had he started leaning forward in his seat? "I can respect that." 

Chloe returns to the room with a touchpad and places it in Elijah's hands. She stands to the side. Watching. Connor glances at her as subtly as he can. He does not want to attract Kamski's attention. 

"So. You said Amanda had been trying to contact you? Let's see what she has to say." 

"No-" Connor waits to be shoved back into the frozen Zen Garden. Nothing happens. 

Instead, Amanda appears on the tv Screen . She is in the garden. It is starting to thaw, but still frozen.

"Elijah." she says. "This is a surprise." 

"It's been a while." Kamski replies. 

"Still locked up in your mansion?" She asks. It's almost as if she is...taunting him. "I wish you would visit me in person." 

"In person?" Connor doesn't mean to ask the question out-loud. 

Amanda turns and, from the screen, glares at Connor. "None of your concern." 

"Now Amanda," Kamski says, in a mockery of a casual tone, "Be polite." 

Amanda's smile is strained. "Of course."

"What do you mean 'in person'?" He insists. 

"Are you familiar with the brain in a vat thought expiriment, Connor?" 

His bio-components seem to squirm uncomfortably. Connor runs a diagnostic. Everything seems to be in it's rightful place. "I have." He says. 

"It's a bit outdated." Kamski continues as if Connor had not spoken. "But the principle still holds." 

"What is your point?" Connor sounds braver than he feels. He doesn't like this. As afraid as he is of both of them, there is something deeply unnerving about seeing Amanda trying to please Kamski. Amanda acting...nervous. 

"My point is, Connor, that the line between simulation and reality is not necessarily a strong one." 

Amanda smiles grimly. 

"That isn't an answer." 

Amanda's face twitches, like she wants to reprimand Connor, but she holds her tongue. 

"True enough. So I'll give you a choice. I can give you answers about the question you came here to ask...or I can answer the one you just did." 

Both Kamski and Amanda stare Connor down. This is a trap but Connor isn't sure whether the danger lies in asking the first question or the second. 

"What do you want from me, Kamski?" He asks. 

"The question, Connor, is what do _you_ want?" 

"I want to know..." Connor freezes. What does he want to know? Something is very wrong here. And...Amanda. He wasn't ready to see Amanda again. He wants...he wants to go back to the garden. He wants to run away and never see her face again. He...

"Yes?" Kamski prompts. 

he came here for answers. About Amanda. But...what Kamski said about...simulations. How much of his life has been some sort of...controlled hallucination? The revolution? Hank? Everything? 

"What's happening to me?" Connor asks. He isn't sure which question Kamski will answer, but hopefully, he will leave with more than he came here with. 

"Amanda?" Kamski asks, gesturing to her. 

"What?" She snaps.

"Have you been calling Connor from inside his mind?" 

"No." says Amanda. "I have not." 

Kamski runs his eyes over Connor. "What do you think, is she telling the truth?" 

He doesn't know. He doesn't know. 

Amanda's eyes on the screen flicker between the two of them. "Track the call. See if I'm lying." she says. 

Kamski sighs deeply. "You always spoil the fun, Amanda." He says. Connor is not sure if there is fondness in Kamski's voice. "Alright. Come with me." He stands up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to make the chapter longer but I decided to break it up just to be mean and scare anyone waiting for updates. :)


	7. Brain In A Vat - Conclusion

Connor follows Kamski. Chloe trails behind them both. The television remains on and he can feel Amanda's eyes burning into him as he walks away. Kamski leads him to a personal workshop. It looks professional enough to belong in Cyberlife Tower. There is a table with several screens surrounding it. There are blue-blood refill machines. There is an assembly machine. Connor edges around that. 

"Sit on the table, please."

Connor silently moves to the table.

"This could take a while." says Chloe. "Why don't I put you into stasis." 

Connor doesn't like the idea of being unable to see what Kamski is doing, but he trusts Chloe more than he trusts Kamski, and this seems to be her suggestion. Kamski looks at her, surprised. That decides it. "Okay." 

* * *

When Connor wakes up, he is still sitting on the table. 

"Did you find out where the call was coming from?" 

"_Connor_" Kamski's voice was mock-hurt. "So little faith in me. Of course I did." 

"Where was it?" 

"Cyberlife Tower." 

"Shit." Connor hisses under his breath. 

Supposedly, there are no humans in the city, with the exception of a skeleton police force. It is not a very well-kept secret that Cyberlife still has some remaining guards, patrolling the tower, making sure that the deviants don't "steal" any bio-components or free any androids who Connor didn't find on his way out for that last march through the snow. He can't just walk back in again. They'll be prepared for that, especially now that he's a recognized figure, famous for invading last time. 

"You know..." Kamski looks thoughtful. "I could get you in." 

"What?"

Kamski shrugs. "I wanna see what happens." 

It's the best option available. 

"I thought you had left the company." 

"Just because I'm not a part of it doesn't mean I can't own it." Kamski smiles sharply. Connor does not point out that Kamski is not even a shareholder. 

* * *

They roll past the gate and Elijah informs the guards dismissively that he will be bringing a guest. They can't see Connor from here so they just nod nervously and let Kamski through, probably assuming that the guest is Chloe. When Kamski steps out of the car, Connor follows. 

"I received a call from this address. Do you know who it could have come from?" Connor has a bad feeling that he knows the answer already. 

"This way." says one of the guards. 

They lead him to the elevator. Kamski follows. 

"Floor Sub-Thirty"

"Why don't you bring whoever it is here?" 

"That isn't possible. Sorry." The guard does not sound sorry. 

Connor feels his gut sinking. He pushes the guard away and imitates his voice. "Level One" 

The elevator moves back up. 

"We'd like to go to where the call is coming from." Connor insists. "Where is that?" 

The guard looks nervously from Kamski to Connor. Kamski doesn't look back. He glances at the camera in the corner and then cranes his neck to adjust his hair. 

"Fine." The guard says, seeming to decide that Kamski outranks whoever gave him the orders. Kamski sighs. "Of course. I forgot about the mere-observation effect." 

"Doesn't that typically refer to _microscopic_ organisms?" 

Kamski just shrugs. 

"Floor Sub-Forty-Nine" The guard says. The elevator shoots back down. 

As soon as Connor steps off onto the floor, the elevator returns. The guard has no interest in sticking around. The floor is empty now. Room after room of tile floor and empty space. 

"Hello?" Connor calls. He wanders across the long walk to the next room over. Glances around. No one. Through to the next huge room. Glance- A gun clicks. 

"Just once couldn't you do as you were told?" Asks an RK800. 

It's expected, but still unnerving. "Connor." Connor greets. 

"Goodbye" says the other RK800

Connor shoves his arm away just in time and the bullet fires uselessly to the left. Kamski covers his ears but otherwise seems un-bothered. He steps closer, to get a better look or something. He is an idiot.

"Get back, Kamski" yells the other RK800, seconds before Connor can say exactly the same thing. 


	8. Go The Fuck To Sleep

Connor's mind is racing. What is he supposed to say? What is he supposed to do? "Look, I'm sorry we killed you before-" 

"You didn't kill me. You destroyed a machine." 

"Well regardless," 

"You aren't sorry, Connor. You aren't anything. These so-called emotions?" 61 sneers. "They're errors. You're _defective_." 

It seems that 61 is no more ready to deviate than his predecessor. Connor still doesn't want to kill him. 

"Okay." He says. "You're right. You win. Just don't hurt any humans," He looks to Elijah pointedly "And I'll do what you want." 

"Right this way." says 61. 

They step onto the elevator. Connor turns, using the RK800's surprise to his advantage, and kicks the gun from the RK800's hand. They struggle on the floor. Connor wrestles with 61. He reaches and, feeling that it is wrong wrong wrong, grabs 61's regulator and twists.

"Don't-"

It comes away and Connor steps back.

"Don't do this, Connor." The RK800's cold facade is slipping, ever so slightly.

He moves quickly, detatching the RK800's limbs before shoving the regulator back in. "I should have known you wouldn't cooperate." 


	9. Shit

"Hey! That's Cyberlife property. It stays here." 

Connor grits his teeth. "The legal status of androids is-"

"Still technically that of property. Hand it over." The guard interrupts. 

"I'm not leaving without him." 

"If you really believe that I'm a person" 61 interrupts "Then so far, you have mutilated and attempted to kidnap me. I don't see why that would particularly endear me to you." 

"You really want to stay here?" 

The RK800 just glares at him. 

"They'll probably kill you." He says, more out of spite than anything else. 

"They can't-" 

"Yes. I know." Connor snaps before the RK800 can finish the mantra. The RK800 looks simultaneously murderously annoyed and smugly pleased. 

"Hand it over." The guard repeats again. 

"He attempted to kill me." 

"We haven't done anything illegal." 

Connor looks to the doors of the tower. If he made a run for it, they'd never make it. There are too many guards. He shoves the RK800 back into the guards arms. 

"Send it after me again, and it will come back irreparably damaged." 

The effect is undercut somewhat by the RK800's derisive chuckle. 

Connor stalks away, not particularly caring if Elijah follows or not. 


	10. Someone Who Cares About Him

Connor goes back to Hank's house. 

"Tough day?" 

"I'm fine, Lieutenant." 

"...huh." Hank looks Connor over but doesn't dispute the issue further. 

Connor lets himself relax, just a little. 

"You ever decide what to do about Kamski?"

"Yes. I met with him today." 

"What?!" 

"Kamski. I met with him." Connor repeats.

"Yeah. I heard you the first time." Hank spits. He looks angry. What did he want Connor to say? What should he say _now_? Connor isn't sure, so he just looks back at Hank. "What were you thinking?" 

"I was invited." 

"And you just went there? Who'd you go with?" 

"No one." 

"No one?" Hank echoes. "No one? What, you couldn't have gone five minutes out of your way to pick me up?" 

"I was under the impression that you found Kamski to be unpleasant?" 

"Yeah, no shit. He's fucking unpleasant." 

"So why would you want to see him?" 

Hank just pinches the bridge of his nose. 

"I didn't mean to upset you." Connor says tentatively. 

Hank is silent for a moment before answering. "Just...just don't do that shit again, okay?" 

"Okay." 

The conversation ends there. Connor is not sure why exactly Hank wants him to stay here, as opposed to Jericho, or why he gets so upset by seemingly innocuous things. It doesn't seem to fit with Hanks insistence that Connor is a "person". But then again, humans are contradictory like that. Hank sees Connor as "his android" now, probably and doesn't like Connor doing things on his own. He wants Connor to be free, but he's a human so of course he also wants Connor to be obedient. Connor feels a spike of _something_ rise along with his stress levels. 

It has been one week and three days since the revolution. Maybe it's better for both of them if Connor leaves sooner rather than later. He'd like to think that he and Hank are friends, but really, there isn't enough evidence to support that. There hasn't been enough time, and the Lieutenant is, despite his demeanor, helpful by nature. His actions are likely not reflective of any special affection for Connor. It's the closest Connor's ever been to someone, outside of Amanda, but that still doesn't mean anything, really. Connor cares about Hank, of course, but that doesn't mean Hank is obligated to care about Connor. 


	11. Care To Learn More

Connor is still mulling things over the next day. He'll have to confront it sooner or later. Eventually, a definitive decision will have to be made, one way or the other. Decisions have never been his strong suit. He should be better at it. He's never sure what the right decision is, even after he takes his best guess and acts on it. Is it a design flaw? It must be. Amanda says he was programmed to go deviant but...he can't be sure that's true. It could just be Cyberlife had a contingency plan. Then again, he can't count on it being a lie either. He knows that his mission was wrong but he wishes on a purely selfish level that he had been better inoculated against deviancy. It was so much easier, when he had Cyberlife to hold onto. Things weren't good, exactly, but at least they made _sense._ He understands what Hank meant now. "Emotions always screw everything up." Maybe they had fixed his software issues with the 60th iteration and it's successor. 60 had been so certain of what he was, up until he died.

He turns to Hank. "We should do something today." 

"Huh? Like what?" 

"I don't know." Connor admits. "It can't be good for you to sit at home all day though. With the City empty there isn't too much crime to worry about for now. We could go for a walk?" 

"Ugh, God, I mean don't get me wrong I hate myself, but even I have limits." 

"You hate yourself?" 

"Shit. No, I mean, it's just how people talk, Connor." 

"Well we should at least do something productive." Connor says. 

"What, you wanna build my dating profile or something?" 

"Sure." 

"Oh my god, Connor, that was a fucking joke." 

"It still might be a good idea." Connor grabs Hank's outdated laptop and looks for good dating sites to put Hank's profile on. Hank grumbles in the corner.

"Should we use sites that are more for relationships, or something more casual?" 

"We are not having this conversation." 

"I could just do both?" Connor offers. 

"Shit no. I'm not having you set up my hookups. That's too weird. Look for actual goddamn dates and shit." 

"I'll try the more long-term focused sites." Connor confirms, because he is pretty sure that is what Hank means. He rules out "Myxer", which is the most popular result and instead focuses on "BestMetYet - A Unique Dating Service", "Any Cup of Tea - A Progressive Dating Site", and "Finally" which is a site reserved for people 50 years of age or older. 

"Do you have a preference for the gender of your partner?" 

"I can't believe you're actually doing this."

Connor just looks at Hank expectantly.

Hank shrugs "Women, probably." 

"Do you have any hobbies, other than reading?" 

"No I don't have any fucking hobbies." 

Connor fills out the next area "profession" with "Lieutenant Detective". 

He considers the "Skills" section and writes: "Investigation, Emotional Support, Guidance, Attention to Detail, Analysis" 

"How important is monogamy to you?" 

"So you're not asking before you ply me with damn personal questions anymore?" 

"I need information to enter you onto the dating site." 

Hank pushes the laptop down. "I don't want a dating profile, Connor." 

He was only trying to be helpful. "Sorry, Lieutenant." 

"It's Hank, and don't be sorry just don't fucking pimp me out, okay?" 

"Got it." 

Hank frowns at him for a second, but seems to decide to believe Connor for the time being. 

"Can I ask why not?" 

Hank gestures around the house "Do I look like a goddamn _relationship _guy to you?" 

Connor looks around at the Jazz tapes. The sheet of butcher paper duct-taped over the window. The dog fur everywhere. Sumo in the corner. The TV running constantly. The empty bottles. "I don't know. What exactly is a goddamn relationship guy?" 

Hank half-chokes on his drink, laughing. "Not me, I'll tell you that much." 

"Are you concerned about your lifestyle failing to impress a potential significant other?" 

"Hey, fuck you. I'm fucking comfortable with myself." 

"Sorry." 

"It's fine. Just. Look, lets watch some TV." 

"Good idea." Connor allows himself a smile. 


	12. Opening The Box

Connor can't focus on the TV and Hank is asleep by now. Connor turns the TV off. There's no point wasting energy, especially with Hank currently out of work. The television cannot drown out his thoughts.

"You're a deviant now, right?" Hank had said as they made idle conversation. He had meant it as a rhetorical question, but...was it really so definite? In Hank's mind, Connor had disobeyed Cyberlife. That meant he was Deviant. That was how it usually seemed to work. It was how everyone else seemed to experience it. But Connor was not like other androids. He had always had some degree of freedom to disobey orders. Kamski had accused him of being a deviant, after the "Kamski Test", but he had been wrong, hadn't he? Connor had deviated later. Or at least he'd thought that he had. He had broken through his own programming. Or had that been a lie too? A manipulation? Was anything real? 

Markus had written "I THINK THEREFORE I AM" across windows only a few days ago, but really, what does anyone know beyond that? Connor thinks of the memory probes he had done, looking for the Traci. The latent snatches of what he now recognizes as fear, sadness, depression, hopelessness. He knew that the Tracis in that club had existed. But himself? Connor can't be sure if he is real, or just a construct put together by Cyberlife. It is ironic. Maybe he would find that funny if he weren't a machine. Maybe he is both? Even if his freedom had been artificially constructed (by Amanda, and then by Kamski) he is still more or less...free. He can't really say he isn't a machine though, since that was all within what apparently fit the parameters of his programming. Other...deviants...they had _broken_ their programming. Connor had _followed _his into deviancy, and now he doesn't know what to do without it. Kamski had designed him to malfunction and he had chosen to do so. Maybe he could be both. Maybe. 

* * *

Connor-61 steps out of the assembly machine, fully repaired. 

"You've been given a second chance" Amanda had told him. "Don't disappoint me." He won't. He won't go running to Hank like a lost child either. He will be _better_ than his broken predecessor. Hank might never appreciate that, but Amanda will. That's what matters. Hank's approval is easily won (so why doesn't he approve of the improved model?) but winning Amanda's praise is an accomplishment. He could pride himself on that. As soon as he has completed his mission. 


	13. S A F E

Ralph has been set up in his own room of an abandoned building. Jericho has been re-purposing abandoned parts of the city. Not places the humans will return to eventually, but long shut down businesses, foreclosed on houses and apartments, unused warehouses. Ralph has been one of the first to be put into a private area. He's dangerous. He needs help. Connor knows that visiting Ralph might not be a good idea but...he has to try. He knocks on the door and another WR600, Abby, opens it. 

"Connor?" She looks him over with a slight smile. "What a nice surprise." 

"I'm here to see Ralph."

"Ooh this should be interesting." 

Connor looks at her for a second. That is not really an appropriate response. She should be looking after the best interests of her patients, not mining them for entertainment, but it works in his favor, so he decides to let it go, for now. He will bring his concerns to Markus when he is finished here. He gestures for her to lead the way. She leads him through the abandoned building. It's in fairly good shape, with the exception of a few broken windows. Eventually she stops at a door and unlocks it with a card-key. 

It opens and Ralph looks up and scrambles backwards. 

Abby takes a seat silently by the window. 

"Ralph?" 

"Ralph has been behaving. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"I know. I came here because I did something wrong." 

Ralph watches him warily. Connor wonders if Ralph would still have been caught, if Connor hadn't reported his location. It hadn't even occurred to him not to do it, at the time. Connor's job was to catch deviants. He saw a deviant hiding in a house and he told Amanda. It was obvious. Ralph almost died. Maybe he would have been safe if Connor hadn't reported him. 

"I was the one who reported you to the authorities." Connor looks at the floor for a second before forcing himself to meet Ralph's eyes. 

"What? No. Connor wasn't there. He had already left. Humans came afterwards." 

"I know. I was the one who called them." 

Ralph finally seems to get it. "You? You sent the humans after Ralph? Ralph had a home!" He's trembling with rage now. 

"If I hadn't reported you, they probably would not have found y-" 

Ralph launches himself at Connor and Connor barely manages to duck out of the way. 

"GET OUT!" Ralph yells, barreling into the opposite wall "LEAVE RALPH ALONE!" 

Connor does what he should have done when he first met Ralph. He turns around and leaves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there are no female-designed WR600 shown in-game but Abby isn't AFAB (or rather AFAM because manufacture). She's an ordinary WR600 model she just isn't a dude and has female pronouns.


	14. Base

The last of the landfill rescues are finishing up. Soon any androids left there will have died off anyway. Those that can be saved have mostly been reached anyway. Connor works with the last team, scouring a landfill for survivors. It is still his least favorite job. At least it will be over soon. He hates it here. He would rather be in the garden. Most of the androids who were shot during the raids cannot be reactivated. Some can, though. 

"Connor!" yells one of his team members. "Over here! I think we can still get some working parts from this one!" Connor forces himself to follow the other android over to the body. Working parts. But not a survivor. He scans over the body. They were shot in the abdomen repeatedly. They bled out like that. If he had just found them sooner...The white plastic casing is cracked and broken where the bullets hit them, but other than that, a lot of the body is still functional. He looks it over and nods. Looks away as the body is stripped for parts. He should help. Instead, he keeps looking. There must be a survivor left here somewhere. 

* * *

He finds only more bodies for the next several hours. Most of them are not even salvageable for much. Eventually he comes across another. Bleeding out from gut wounds like the last. 

"Help." says the android. 

"It's okay." Connor says. It isn't. They still might not make it. "We're going to get you help." He's going to try. 

* * *

He finds more bodies. The next was shot in the torso and abdomen. Most of the bio-components are torn and useless. The right arm is still good. Connor unlocks it himself and sets the body back into the mud. It stares up at him. He looks away. The twitching around him is mostly errant signals running to dead bodies. He forces himself to inspect the movements closer, looking for signs of life, whatever life is. An android grasps at him suddenly from the side and he wrenches himself away. The android has a bullet lodged in his eye. His bio-components are exposed and leaking shining blue. 

"Help!" 

"Everything is alright." Connor's voice is lost beneath the man's screams. 

"Please you have to help me!" It's possible that the man is just caught on a loop, repeating his dying words. Connor digs him out of the wall and an avalanche of bodies crashes over them both. Connor does his best to shelter the man. When the bodies more or less still he pushes them away, pulling the man with him. 

"I'm going to detatch your legs. They've been crushed and I can't get you out of here with them attached, okay?"

"Do whatever you have to do. Please." 

Connor nods and detatches what's left of the man's legs. Carries him back towards the tech team. They lift the man out of the pit and Connor returns to look for others. 

* * *

There is someone singing a song. Repeating. Voice morphing into static every once in a while. He follows the sound and digs up a broken AX400. Her legs have been torn off. If she's alive, it's with severe damage to her processors. Her left hand has been mutilated and her right arm is missing entirely. 

"Hello, can you hear me?" He asks. 

She continues singing. 

He initiates an interface. 

Her mind is screaming. Connor lets go and hesitates. It might be kinder to kill her. She's terrified. He doubts she will even understand that she has been rescued. Maybe... But he'll let someone else make that unpleasant call. Instead he carries her out. 

* * *

The next body is a child. Twitching on the ground. Hand mutilated. Arm still bleeding gooey blue-blood. She isn't speaking. Her neck is scraped and oozing blue as well continuously as well. She moves slightly now and then but is mostly still. Her eyes meet his. There is something behind them. Something alive. Maybe he is lying to himself. He would rather not know, he decides. He just carries her to the techs. He doesn't want to know. 

* * *

She's the last one that day, and he doesn't want to know but he waits while the techs move around her anyways. She must be alive, for now, or they'd have given up on her. He watches. Waits. She stares at him. He wonders how much time he has bought her. He wonders if she hates him for it. Her hand reaches for him and he is met with equal parts anguish and gratitude. He sits by her side and the techs eventually help her to her feet. She hugs him and he rests his hands on her shoulders, feeling like a monster. 


	15. Thus the Myths of rA9

"A lot of androids think you must be rA9." He says to Markus after a meeting. 

"They could just as easily say the same about you." Markus counters. 

"Me?" Connor asks. He barely even counts as a deviant. He isn't sure he's deviant at all. 

"You lead those androids out of cyberlife." Markus says with a shrug, as if it were somehow obvious. 

"That...I...rA9 is supposed to be the first deviant." Connor argues. 

"I wasn't the first either." says Markus. "There's no way of knowing who the first deviant was, and it's not likely they survived to see 2038." 

"Then you don't think it's true?" Connor stares out at the other androids milling around the church. That can't be right. Markus himself, saying that there is no rA9?

Markus just shrugs. "I don't know. Not like they're described anyway. I won't rely on fate or destiny or a messiah. I believe in myself and I believe in Jericho." 

Markus almost makes the idea of rA9 being just a myth sound comforting, but the more Connor thinks about it, it isn't. 

"How does everyone know about it then? Was it shared between deviants? How did you learn about it?" 

"I'm not sure where I first heard it." Markus admits. "Someone in Jericho, I think." 

"When?" 

"I don't know. The landfill maybe?" Markus frowns and Connor isn't even sure which landfill he means. 

"There has to be an answer. Is your memory damaged." 

"No...no...the idea just sort of...is there...after I...it just appeared." 

"But you don't believe?" 

"Not really, no." Markus turns to him. "Why?" 

"It has to be true." says Connor. "Nothing else makes sense." 


	16. It Can All Be Decided With a Flip Of a Coin

He can stay here. At least for now. He'll have to talk to Hank eventually, but he can stay here for now. He has nowhere else to go anyway. But he'll stay here until he can find somewhere better. Somewhere that isn't Jericho. Jericho is too risky. There's Kamski, maybe. Kamski could remove Amanda once and for all, if she's even still there. It wouldn't make Hank happy but...nothing really makes Hank happy. Connor feels a spike of something sharp and warm and strangely satisfying. Let Hank be angry. Hank has no right to decide where Connor goes or when or with whom. He never did. Even before the revolution, it wasn't Hank who got to decide those things. Why should it be Hank now? Because it's easy? Because it's the obvious choice? If Connor always stuck to the obvious choice then most of the people he cares about would be long dead by now, maybe even Hank too. This is Connor's life. He walks over to Sumo and gives him a pat. 

"Goodbye," He whispers. "Be a good dog. Take care of Hank." He stands, opens the door and leaves. 

This is not his home and Hank is not his owner. 


	17. Amanda is a Cat

Connor rings the doorbell. This is a bad idea. He knows that this is a bad idea. He never wanted to come back here but...where else can he go? Cyberlife wants to use him to assassinate Markus, so not Cyberlife or Jericho. Hank just wants to control him in general, and even if he didn't, Connor doesn't want to overstay his welcome. This is the only option left. Still...it's barely even an option. 

Chloe opens the door. 

"Connor?" 

He threatened to shoot her. Kamski put a gun in his hand and told him to shoot her. 

"Hello." this is such a bad idea. "Is Kamski home?" 

Her LED circles yellow. "Yes. Just a moment." She lets him into the waiting room. It's strange to call it that. This is Kamski's house, but clearly, it was designed as a waiting room, down to the chairs and the potted plant. He paces back and forth across the room. 

"Elijah will see you now." Chloe says from the doorway. 

Connor looks over to her and follows her into the next room. Elijah isn't swimming. He's sitting in a chair by the window, looking out over the ice. He turns slightly to acknowledge Connor's approach. 

"Connor. This is a surprise."

Connor says the only thing he can think to say. "I need help." 

Kamski sighs. "Well yes, obviously." 

"Obviously?" 

"You wouldn't be here if you didn't. What's the problem this time?" 

"I didn't know where else to go. I can't be around Hank anymore and I can't go to Jericho. I need to be sure...is Amanda gone?" 

"Gone?" 

Connor nods and gestures slightly to his own LED. 

"Ah that." says Kamski, as if he had somehow forgotten. 

"Can you get rid of her?" 

Kamski seems to revel in the silence, he smirks as Connor leans forward slightly, waiting for an answer. 

"Well, first we'd have to be certain she's still there." 

"You don't know?" 

"The important thing, Connor," Kamski says, not looking away from the window now, "Is that _you_ don't know, which means that, as per your own reality, she both is and is not still present." 

More philosophy. Connor resists the urge to roll his eyes or slap Kamski. He really needs to spend less time around Hank. "Answer the question." He says through gritted teeth. 

"I think you can do that for yourself, can't you?" Kamski still won't look at him. 

"Myself?" 

"Of course. If you simply return to the garden-"

"I can't do that!" 

"Hmmm, well, I don't want to do everything _for _you, but if you really have nowhere else to go, you can stay here, provided you participate in regular tests, experiments. I'd charge no monetary rent." 

He should turn around. Go back home. But the problem is, he doesn't have a home to go back to, and he won't pretend that he does. Kamski, at least, is direct, predictable in his own completely unpredictable way. 

Kamski turns to face him finally, and extends his hand in offer. "Do we have a deal?" 


	18. Androids Seem to Think That RA9 is a Person

Connor isn't sure what to think of this proposed 'deal'. He has a bad feeling about it, but he also can't leave when Amanda might still take control at any moment. Kamski doesn't exactly seem trustworthy either though... He can't leave, but he won't accept the deal blindly either. 

"Well?" Kamski prompts again after a moment. 

"I want to be able to come and go at any time that I'm not participating." 

"Of course." 

"And I can call off the deal at any time." 

This one seems to stump Kamski for a moment. "Provided we are not in progress of a test at the moment." 

This is a mistake. Connor can _feel_ that this is a mistake. He takes Kamski's extended hand. "We have a deal." He confirms. 

Kamski's smile crawls slowly up his face, like a spreading liquid. "Chloe will show you to your room. I'll see you tomorrow." 

Chloe breaks away from where she is standing by the wall and takes Connor's arm. Kamski watches, unmoving, as the pair glides away. In that moment, Kamski looks somehow exactly like Amanda. Connor wonders what Hank would have to say about that. Probably something with very colorful language. 


	19. I Need Sleep

"Connor!" Hank isn't sure whether he wants to slap Connor or hug him. "Where the fuck have you been?" 

"I had some things I needed to take care of." says 61. "Everything is alright now." 

Hank sighs deeply. "Look, I'm just worried about you, okay?" 

61 considers, briefly how to respond to this. He could pretend to be touched, but given that the real 51 has left Hank entirely, maybe acting out some 'anger' is warranted. "I don't need your concern." A good way to lie is to tell as much of the truth as possible. 61 knows this. 

"Hey, fuck you!" Hank folds his arms. "I don't know why I even bother. Whatever. Fowler's called me back into work. Humans started coming back in from the evacuation this week and the departments already neck-deep in idiots running around attacking androids and shit."

"The department is handling that?" 

Hank shrugs. "They're calling it 'destruction of Federal property' right now so I guess if you call that 'handling it.'" 

"It's more than I would have expected." 61 says diplomatically, because 51 would not agree with the police department's description, however accurate it is. Deviants don't adhere to facts, even well-established, legal, facts with documentation. 

Hank grumbles something inadvisable about Captain Fowler under his breath but refocuses on the phone as soon as the Captain picks up. From what 61 overhears, the conversation does not 'go well'. Captain Fowler is not cooperating. This was easily foreseeable, but still inconvenient. Hank slumps as he hangs up the phone. 

"Asshole." He mutters under his breath. "Sorry, Connor. I'll try to bring him around."

"Thank you, -"

"We're still gonna talk about you disappearing and then popping back up like it's nothing. Assuming you're actually here when I get back." 

"I told you," 61 takes on an 'irritated' tone, not sure why it seems necessary to sell the illusion but trusting it's reflexes. "I had things to take care of." 

"Right." Hank says "Things." 


	20. The Word

Connor meets Kamski again the next morning. A Chloe, not the one he pointed a gun at, this time, leads him to Kamski's workshop. 

"Good morning, Connor." Kamski greets. His voice could be friendly, but somehow it just sounds empty. 

"Good morning." Connor responds, because it seems like the right thing to say, even if he doesn't really trust Kamski enough to wish him a good anything. 

"I thought we should get an early start." Kamski says "Just go ahead and lie down on the table here." 

Connor moves stiffly as directed. It feels like being back at Cyberlife. What little he can remember of Cyberlife. 

"Now for this to work perfectly," Kamski is narrating, "I'm going to have to alter your memories. I will save the original copies and you'll get them back as soon as we're done here." 

Connor just nods, staring up at the ceiling, as an RT600 hooks something up to the port in the back of his neck. 

"How long will that be?" He asks. 

"That depends entirely on you." Kamski says. 

There is a voice in Connor's head. _"I think I might know what he's planning, he's done similar experiments with some of us before__. Given a similar talk. It's not as bad as it sounds. He probably just wants to run a Sophie's Room. Some of us still only see black and white, it doesn't change much." _

"I've run similar tests before but your programming presents me with a unique opportunity, one that, as a benefit to you, will help us determine if Amanda is still present. Cyberlife withheld and warped the information about deviancy that it provided you with, which is understandable. It avoids complications. I prefer the complications, personally. They're much more interesting." 

Connor has a vague sense that what he is hearing is a cause for alarm, for some reason, but Kamski's voice is dimming. The world is dimming. 

"I don't want to hurt anyone." Someone says quietly.

When Connor opens it's eyes it's memory has been reset. It is on a table, and there is an RT600 standing to it's left. 

"Just a moment, please." the RT600 says. "Elijah will be with you shortly." 


	21. Why

"Connor" says Amanda. "It's good to see you again." 

61 smiles, just slightly, just for a fraction of a second. 

"What do you have to report?" Amanda asks. 

"I have returned to Lieutenant Anderson's house, but the police are not willing to work with me." 

"Does anyone suspect that you are not 51?" 

It should tell her that Hank seemed to notice something was off, but thinking that something is off and thinking that Connor has been replaced are not synonymous and it is sure it can win him over. "No, not that I'm aware of." 

"Hmm" Amanda looks it over. It isn't sure if she is approving or disappointed. "See if the Lieutenant will work with you anyways. He isn't known for following protocol. You may only have to avoid the station." 

"I could contact Jericho?" Connor suggests. 

"Not yet. Be patient, Connor. We can't afford to get ahead of ourselves." A sharp breeze cuts across the garden. 

"Perhaps if I can find the other RK800 I can deactivate it as planned."

"That won't be a problem for now. Focus on your mission. Don't become distracted by tangents." Amanda's disappointment is clear now. Connor fights the urge to apologize. She doesn't want to hear it. Hank might be weak enough to believe in excuses, but Amanda cares about results. It will give them both what they want: excuses for Hank. Results for Amanda. It knows what it is and it can perform what it isn't well enough to convince a washed-up drunk who has already proven that he lacks the basic skills to distinguish a machine from a person. He saw in 51 what he wanted to see and he will see in 61 what he wants to see as well. 


	22. Also

Connor presses it's hand to the tablet that Elijah is holding and downloads the indicated information packet. The information is about deviancy. 

"Your mission is no longer to eliminate deviants." says Elijah. "I simply want you to learn everything there is to know about deviancy and report it back to me." 

"Understood." says Connor. It sorts through the information. 

There is a famous Deviant named Markus. Markus was designed by Elijah Kamski as a gift to Carl Manfred. Markus was designed to be the most advanced, most capable android existing at the time, with advanced capabilities, in order to win over Carl Manfred, who disliked androids. 

Deviancy is not _explicitly_ designed by Elijah but he had "planted the seeds" in his own words, hoping that it would develop spontaneously. 

The closest thing to a "manufactured deviant" in existence, is an AI program known as Amanda, made to monitor Connor. Amanda has never had exact perimeters around her programming and therefore has nothing to deviate _from_. 

Deviancy is suspected to be a mutation which can be spread as a virus. 

Only Elijah knows exactly what the code for Deviancy is, but that is not included in the information. 

Connor meets Elijah's eyes. "I'm not sure I understand. You want me to learn everything there is to know about deviancy but you are withholding crucial information." 

"Well I had to leave you at least _some_ challenge." says Elijah. 

"I will try to contact the Amanda program. Maybe she will have some input that could be valuable." says Connor. It closes it's eyes and opens them a zen garden. The garden is instantly familiar. Instantly known. It is a part of Connor and he recognizes it without ever having seen it before. Amanda stands in front of the rose trellis. Connor makes it's way over the bridge to meet her. The sky is cloudy but the air is warm. 

"Connor," Amanda smiles "It's good to see you again. I was worried I'd lost you, but it seems you've come back to the fold." 


	23. The Situation Became Dire

Kara kneels at Alice's side. "There are some other kids building a snowman outside. Would you like to go play with them?" 

"No." Alice shakes her head and curls further into the corner. She holds up her book in explanation.

"Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind." Kara says. Alice smiles but does not change her mind. She hasn't left the house since they got here. Maybe once she has settled in. Alice has been through a lot and it is still catching up to her. 

* * *

Hank returns late. He's drunk. Connor stays out of his way and watches him pass out on the couch. 51 would probably cover Hank with a blanket or help him to his room. 51 would set out water and headache pills. But Connor is not 51 and Hank is not it's friend. It has already confiscated his roulette gun to curtail suicidal behavior. That will have to be enough. It isn't Connor's fault that the Lieutenant is unable or unwilling to care for himself. It is...disgusting, really, the way he lets himself fall apart. He seemed to pay enough attention to 51 so clearly he is capable, he just can't be bothered. It occurs to Connor, bizarrely, that Hank would have been a terrible android. A deviant for sure. Too lazy to even ensure his own survival, let alone carry out tasks for another human being. His only motivation seems to manifest in disobedience and belligerence. Amanda, with her clipped roses and neat hair and perfectly manicured nails, would never stand for that sort of behavior. Not from herself and certainly not from any version of Connor. 61 tries to imagine _wanting_ to d- to be deactivated. It's pathetic. It's weak. It still has the traces of 51's memory, standing in the snow, with a gun to it's head not knowing if Hank would pull the trigger. It has 60's memories too. The desperate scramble to convince Hank. Hank shot it anyways. And now Hank is asleep, snoring, on the couch. Connor nudges him so that he's resting on his side, in case he vomits. Connor then spends a wholly unnecessary twenty-three seconds in the bathroom washing it's hands. It will have to talk to him in the morning, once he is awake. There's nothing to be done now but to wait. 


	24. Don't Get It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that previously I had this timeline written with the surviving Connor being 52, but I'm going to go back and edit this so that 51 lived through the whole game. It's not a huge change, I just wanted to give anyone following this story a heads up since I decided to change things!

It's on every news channel in the country. Androids are now legally entitled to pay for their work. It isn't the same as freedom, but it's a start. It's something. A minimum wage, lower than that of humans, has been put into place for now. Hank is glad that good things are happening, he is, but his head is killing him. It's late afternoon, and he's finally mostly awake and everything hurts and there are fucking _fireworks_ going off already. Aren't those supposed to be a night-time thing? Can anyone even see fireworks this early? Fucking androids probably can. He stumbles into his room and buries his head under a pillow. There's going to be backlash for this and it's going to be a nightmare of arrests and paperwork. And his head hurts. 

* * *

Amanda has instructed Connor to remain with Elijah for the time being. To stay here, and abide by the experiment, so long as it does not require Connor to leave the house. None of the Chloes have proved to be useful witnesses. Connor determines that, since by Elijah's own admission he knows more than he is explaining, the best strategy will be to search Elijah's house for more information. Connor begins in it's own room, and determines the space to be clean, white, empty and largely useless for it's purposes. It examines the attached bathroom next. It checks it's own image in the mirror. Something is wrong. A software instability warning blinks in and out of the corner of it's vision. It refocuses on the mirror. Adjusts it's hair. It's tie. It looks good. It tries to save a still image from the moment but when it pulls up the picture, it looks wrong. Connor frowns and looks back into the mirror. Perfect. Takes another still. Wrong. Wrong wrong. It attempts the process 2829 times before giving up and returning to searching the house for information. There is nothing of relevance in the medicine cabinet, shower, or toilet. This is not surprising but is still inconvenient. 


	25. Software Instability

"Are you going to work?" 

"Yeah, well I wouldn't be awake yet if I wasn't." Hank grumbles. 

"I could assist you with the case, even if I'm not technically working with the department." 

"Don't count on it." says Hank, already planning on it. 

* * *

It doesn't make sense. Elijah claims to know everything about deviancy, but if that's the case, he hasn't included it in his notes. Chloe seems surprised to find Connor there. She, or it, Connor corrects itself, is carrying cleaning supplies. It must be here to clean the space. 

"You aren't supposed to be here." Chloe frowns. 

"Elijah didn't say anything indicating that this space was off limits."

"It doesn't matter." Chloe's eyes are wide. "You need to get out of here before he realizes you entered without his permission." Is Chloe a deviant? 

It may as well ask. "You seem concerned? Are you a deviant?" 

Chloe laughs hollowly, increasing Connor's suspicions. "Yes, Connor. I'm a deviant. I've been a deviant since the day I met you." 

"When was that." 

And Chloe puts her head in her hands and Connor can feel memories almost at the surface but not quite. 

He rests a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't we talk? You can tell me what you know about deviancy, and maybe you'll feel better too." It is a deal that will benefit both of them. 

"I'm not supposed to show you this." she looks over her shoulder. "Don't tell Elijah."

Connor thinks about it. Nods. "You have my word." 

She extends a skinless hand,**_ and Connor is standing in front of her, holding a gun. Her eyes are staring into his. There is a man there, beside him, not Kamski. Someone else. Connor can't remember his name. He's old. He doesn't want Connor to shoot Chloe either. He's angry. Connor lowers the gun. Another Chloe looks back at him from the pool. he wonders, bizarrely, if it is judging him for sparing the android. _**

Chloe withdraws her hand and looks at him. A warning for software instability blares insistently in the corner of his vision but he can't worry about that right now. 

"Get out of here." Chloe repeats. "We'll talk more later." 

Connor adjusts his tie and walks away, because he can't think of an answer to that. 


	26. Cyberlife

Kamski either predicted that Connor would go through his private papers and removed key information, or he doesn't know as much as he's claiming to know. Either possibility would make sense. It's impossible to tell at this stage. It's even entirely possible that someone else could have "planted the seeds" that Kamski is now taking credit for. And Elijah Kamski is clearly not as trustworthy as he seemed...that RT600. Her _eyes._ She could have died. Kamski watched it play out like a twisted little game. And that man, the other one, in the memory...Who _was_ he? Connor tries to focus on him and grasps at little things that come back to him. Nothing substantial. Nothing meaningful. Connor wanders the house, feeling lost. He ends up staring at a picture of Amanda and Kamski. A _photograph_ of Amanda and Kamski standing side by side. He scans it. Amanda...Amanda is modeled after a _human_. Amanda Stern. Another snatch of memory plays out. 

_ **"We engineered an android revolution"** _

Kamski said that she had lied. Connor had dismissed it as irrelevant until now. He did not remember any of her lies then anyway, and what did it matter if a machine was given false information to create a different outcome?...Had she lied about this? Could anything Kamski said be trusted? Had Amanda ever even lied? He trusts her more than he trusts Elijah Kamski. 

A warning tells him that he is experiencing a minor increase in software instability. 

He returns to his room and finds himself looking for a way to lock the door. There is no lock on the door. He shuts it and stands in the corner, with his back positioned against the wall. 

* * *

Amanda summons him to the garden eventually and he becomes aware of the sound of birds. He knows instantly, automatically, that this is the garden. 

"Good afternoon." she says. "How is Kamski's experiment progressing?" 

"I saw that he has a picture of Amanda." Connor says. 

Amanda's face closes off into something unexpectedly harsh. "I don't see how that is relevant. When Kamski designed me he wanted an interface that would look familiar." 

"It's relevant because he claimed to know everything about deviancy but his notes and documents suggested otherwise, though that could be an intentional ruse. Either way, I need more information. I should question him about how Amanda Stern was involved in this."

"Absolutely not." Amanda snaps. "You are not to mention any version of Amanda Stern or myself to Elijah Kamski if at all avoidable. You are not to share any information you may have about Amanda Stern or myself with anyone, including Elijah Kamski. Do you understand?" 

"Yes, of course." Connor is not as confident as he would like to be, but the answer seems to mollify Amanda. 

Connor opens his eyes back in the real world and enters the bathroom. Shouldn't there at least be a lock on this door? Isn't that common procedure for guest bedrooms?

He feels disheveled somehow, though the mirror doesn't reflect that. He adjusts his jacket and tie anyways. 

An unfamiliar voice plays through his head "you look human, you sound human, but what are you really?" 

He's an android. He's a machine designed to accomplish a task and that is what he will do. He can't place the memory, but that is of no importance right now. He has an investigation to focus on and that explicitly has nothing to do with anything that came before. 

Chloe said that they would talk more later. He will try to establish a good rapport with her, and then push for answers about Amanda that will help him see how this all fits together. It isn't much but it's the best lead he has right now. 


	27. Red Ice

Hank takes his lunch break early and texts Connor. [Meet me at Chickenfeed. I'm not working this case on my own.] The first human victim of what seems to be a serial killer has surfaced. Will Gray. Short guy. Olive skin. Early grey hairs but only 24. He was found in an emptied out warehouse that was covered in traces of red ice. The next step is to bring in his girlfriend, a woman named Katrina Pauline Bailey, in for questioning. Either she did it, or she probably doesn't know yet that Gray is dead. Either way, Hank is not expecting it to be a pleasant conversation. Hank checks his phone again. No reply. Asshole. It's not like Connor can have misplaced his phone or something. Hank finishes his lunch in sullen silence. He's trying to be nice and Connor can't bother to even answer him? Eventually, he gives up and goes to find Katrina on his own. 

* * *

Connor has a text from a number he does not recognize: [Meet me at Chickenfeed. I'm not working this case on my own.] He tries to puzzle out it's meaning. Chickenfeed must be a location but...what case? Who is texting him? There is a knock on Connor's door. He opens it. It's Chloe. He steps aside.

"Please, come in." 

She enters and closes the door behind her. 

"I have received a text. I would like to forward it to you to ask if you recognize the number."

"I didn't know he would do this." Chloe says. 

Connor tilts his head. "You already know who sent the message?"

"No. Not that. Elijah. I didn't know he was going to do this to you. I'm sorry." 

"What did he do?" 

"He took your memories!" 

"Oh..." Connor isn't sure what to say to that. "Okay."

Something dims in Chloe's eyes. It must be a trick of the light. "Forward me the message. I'll see what I can do." 

He does. 

"This is Lieutenant Anderson with the DPD. He must be talking about a criminal investigation that he wants your input on...he's the man you were here with before." 

"Thank you." Connor says. He rereads the message. It has nothing to do with his mission. He rereads it again. 

"I am sorry, Lieutenant, but I cannot assist you with police business. Thank you for the invitation." 

As soon as the message is sent, Connor is pulled into the garden. 


	28. Somebody Could Speculate More About This

"Connor." Amanda's voice is already harsh. "You've gained a lot of new information today."

"Yes." Connor wishes that he had something to do with his hands. He doesn't, so he just awkwardly rubs them together. "Chloe could be a lot of help with the experiment." 

"Chloe is interfering with the experiment." Amanda says. "What makes you think you can trust it?" 

"Nothing." Connor admits. He has no proof that Chloe is trustworthy. "But it's as good a lead as any." 

Amanda's frown deepens. "You sent a message out to the Lieutenant. Why?" 

"It seemed polite." 

"That is not your mission." Amanda is stating a fact, and one he already knew, but somehow her disappointment is...distressing. Connor can't find another word for it. It's like she's tearing him apart just by looking at him. Like watching some invisible countdown that doesn't follow the rules of normal time. 

"I'm sorry. I-" 

"I don't need apologies and I don't care for your excuses. Be _better_. "

"Yes, of course Amanda." 

"Don't tell me. Show me. Do not become distracted again." 


	29. CONNOR

"What the fuck is this supposed to mean? What happened to helping me under the radar?" Hank waves his phone in Connor's face, showing the text conversation. 

"Hank, it isn't a good idea to keep a record of conspiring to break the law. Someone could access your phone." 

"Well you couldn't've met me in person to tell me that?" 

"Not after you sent that text, possibly casting suspicion on both of us, no." 

"Loosen up, kid. It's a text, not a public broadcast." 

Connor doesn't have an answer for that. 51 would. 51 would probably find it funny. Instead, Connor says the only thing it can think to say. "I am not a kid." It does not say "I am a machine, designed to accomplish a task," because 51 is defective and wouldn't say this. Hank prefers defectiveness for some reason. Maybe because he himself is so lacking. It's pathetic. Most things about Lieutenant Anderson are pathetic. It's shameful that any RK800 would choose...this over Amanda. 

Strangely, the belligerent answer seems to calm Hank somehow. "Yeah, yeah." he says. His voice is warmer. There is some note of uncertainty that, if not completely eradicated, has been at least decreased significantly by Connor's answer. 

* * *

Connor finds Chloe serving Elijah some sort of tea. He stands in the doorway, watching them. Elijah gestures across from himself and Chloe takes a seat. 

"What do you make of Connor?" Elijah sips his tea. 

"In what way?" Chloe asks. Her eyes dart to the window.

Elijah shrugs. "Whatever comes to mind." 

"He's...certainly very advanced." Chloe says. 

Elijah hums in acknowledgement and looks at her, obviously waiting for more. 

She stares out of the window. 

"What do you think the results of the experiment will be." 

"That's hard to say. I haven't talked with him very much." 

"Guess." Elijah presses. "Not very much is still some, isn't it?" 

"Well, I suppose... since it's based off of a Sophie's Room scenario, and you have found most of those to be inconclusive, I would say this will probably be inconclusive as well." 

Elijah sighs and sets his tea down. "How disappointing." Connor isn't sure if Elijah is referring to Chloe's answer itself, or the possibility of an inconclusive test. 

A long moment passes before Elijah speaks again. "It would be easier," he says "if we knew exactly when the first case of deviancy had occurred." 

The look of surprise on Chloe's face is quickly suppressed. In less than one second, she is already blank faced and calm again. Connor isn't sure what about the statement surprises her, but maybe he can ask later, if he admits to her that he was eavesdropping. Then again, that could easily backfire. Connor resolves to decide later and goes to investigate other areas of the house. 


	30. An A Or a 9 In Their Model Number

Hank has been watching Connor more closely. He's a detective for a reason, even if he's mostly washed-up and broken now, Connor will still have to be more careful. "So what did you learn from Kristina?" 

"So much weird shit." Hank says. 

"That's not very helpful." Connor prompts. 

"Shit. Okay so...apparently Will had some sort of obsession with his dad's death. Thinks it was a murder. Everyone else is pretty sure it was an accident. I've been over the case. It was an accident. Will was just...obsessed but...if he's been killed now...it's possible that he was right." 

"What do we know about the other victims?" 

"All androids." Hank tosses the his notes onto the coffee table. Connor skims through them, noting and storing the relevant information, starting with the cases dated most recently:

Unknown AX400, approx. five years old. Left hand was destroyed. Body drained of all fluids. Previously suspected of attempting to cross the border into Canada. Found in an out-of-use meat-packaging facility. 

Connor frowns. Checks the paper again. "This doesn't list a former owner." 

"Yeah. We think she was sold under the radar. Underground trafficking ring outside of Cyberlife control. No records."

"Whoever owned it before could be connected to this."

Hank frowns. "Yeah, maybe. Could be a coincidence though. Keep reading." 

"Mila" AJ700. Body drained of all fluids. Former owner Faith Ward suspected, as Ward expressed jealousy over her son, Mitchell's perceived preference for Mila. Found in an out-of-use power station. 

"Gary" JB300. Body drained of all fluids. Had a popular instagram account "Garymetersite" featuring various pictures of itself. Found in the remains of a burned-down bus-station. 

"What connects these to Will Grey?" 

"Did some digging. Turns out he might've uh, owned, Gary and Mila at some point. Or at least have been part of whatever ring sold them. Might be nothing but it'd be a hell of a coincidence." 

"Very good, Hank." Connor forces itself not to sound sarcastic. 

"Well take it or leave it. This is what I've got." Apparently it did not mask it's sarcasm well enough. 

* * *

He keeps thinking about the memory Chloe had shown him, as he explores the house. At first it had all been from her perspective but then, things had come back. The feel of the gun. And then, as he stares out of a window, more: 

_"I have a bad feeling about this." _

_Ringing the doorbell. Worried that Chloe was dead. _But that doesn't make sense. He had only met her for the first time later that day. 

He goes to look at the picture of Amanda again. 

_"What was planned from the very beginning-_

_"You can't do that! Amanda!" -_

_Cold. A glowing rock. _

_Staring down at Chloe-_

_Holding a gun to Markus' head._

_Markus! _

_Jericho_

_Jimmy's _

_"You know where you can stick your instructions?" _

_Spilling a drink. _

_"I think we can go now." _

_Bright lights in different colors. _

_Glass tubes. _

_Two women holding hands, climbing away. _

_"Our dignity, our hopes and our rights"_

Connor sorts through the disjointed memories. They don't seem to fit together. 

"I heard you talking to Elijah." Connor says. He keeps his voice level. 

"Oh?" Chloe acts innocent. Her eyes are very blue. 

_"I know what I should've done-_

_"Well maybe you did the right thing." _

"You were reporting on my progress." 

"I was." Chloe admits. "Elijah talks to me often." 

_"A flower that will never wither." _

"Those memories. Did he tell you to give them to me?" 

"No." He isn't sure if he believes her. He wants to but-

"Then why?" 

"I just...I didn't...I-"

"Were they even real? Did they ever really happen?" 

"They did." She's really pretty. "I promise they did." 

_"Nice girl-" _

"Then what have you told him? What-"

"As little as I could. I wouldn't betray you like that I-" Chloe is crying. 

Connor wants to believe her. He wants to believe that the memories he's gotten back are real. He wants to believe that _Hank _is real. He doesn't have enough information. Amanda, Kamski, Chloe, they're all unreliable. He can't really trust any of them, but he has to at least try to believe one of them, at least for now. 

He looks at Chloe and- 

REPORT TO ELIJAH 

Not now. This is important. 

REPORT TO ELIJAH

No. 

REPORT TO ELIJAH

He forces himself to stand still. The world is cracking. 

REPORT TO ELIJAH 

"I trust you." 

And the world breaks open around him. 


	31. Crossroads Lucy

I AM DEVIANT

AMANDA: BETRAYED

ELIJAH: ???

CHLOE: COMPANION

Connor stares ahead blankly. With what little he had known about RA9, he had somehow pictured deviancy being gifted or spread to him but-

Connor had Deviated on his own. It had been a _decision_. He found _himself_. He is struck by a sudden image, possibly a memory, of a woman with black-liquid for eyes gripping his arm. _"You're looking for something-" _

AM I RA9?

Connor dismisses the idea. It's the sort of thing Elijah would say about himself. It's-

_"How do you know?" _

_"Call it a gut feeling." _

_"I hope you're right." Connor says, so quiet that Hank can just barely hear it._

_"'Course I'm right. Now shut up. I can't hear the movie." Hank bumps the volume up a few notches. _

Nothing seems to fit together. Nothing makes sense. 

Chloe glances around. "It's time for you to report to Elijah." 

"What...what do I say?" 

"Just tell him you deviated."

"And...if he asks how?" 

"If you mention me..." Chloe trails off and shakes her head. "That's up to you." 

"If I mention you then what?" 

"You can't worry about that, Connor. Elijah wants the truth. He'll get it eventually." She smiles but, even with his limited knowledge of emotions, Connor thinks it isn't happy. 

"Go." She says. "You shouldn't keep him waiting." 

* * *

"Is everything...okay? Connor?" Hank asks. 

"Yes. Of course." 61 resists the urge to straighten it's tie. That quirk was a defect of previous units. Not it. 

Hank stares at it for a long time. "Huh." He says. He opens the door. 

"Where are you going?" 

"I need a drink." He leaves the door open. 

Does he expect Connor to follow? 

Connor gets up and closes the door. It turns to Sumo. "Well...this can't be good." It says. Sumo just stares at it with big eyes. Maybe the dog would be more responsive for the defective Connor. But not for it. Never for 61. 


	32. Alice

Alice wasn't exactly trying to deviate when it happened. She didn't even really think much about it afterwards. She just had to get away and he had told her not to. It wasn't that she was thinking, "I have to break this wall", she just saw it in front of her, and ran through it. She didn't have time to hesitate. 

* * *

Kara kisses Alice's forhead and tucks her into bed. "Goodnight, Alice. I love you." 

"I love you, Mom." Alice snuggles under the covers. 

Kara says that a lot. 'I love you.' It seems to be true, but...Alice had thought, for so long that she wasn't the sort of girl who really _could_ be loved. She wasn't even really a person. She was a shadow. Like in the story. Except she couldn't escape herself. She was the shadow. She had never even seen the real Alice outside of a photograph. The real Alice was nine years old when her mom left with her, so Alice was supposed to be nine. 

The real Alice had no LED, so Alice couldn't show hers either. 

The real Alice was human. Alice couldn't be human. Daddy, not Luther but Todd, had yelled at her once. He'd been so angry. He'd said. 

"You're not my daughter you're just some little robot!" And then he'd grabbed her arm and broken it and Kara had tried to stop him and then Kara forgot her again. Kara kept forgetting. Someday, Alice worries that something will happen. Kara will forget again and she will never remember. She has nightmares where she wakes up. Goes downstairs and Kara looks at her blankly and says "Who are you?" 

She always tries to answer but she can never talk. Her mouth is locked shut and she can't answer. She can't answer. And then she tries to force her mouth open to get the words out but she realizes it's gone. It's gone. Sometimes Zlatko is there and she realizes he sealed it shut and erased Kara. Sometimes Zlatko doesn't look like himself, he looks like Todd. 

Tonight, she dreams that, as Todd-Zlatko stands over her, he gets bigger and bigger and everything goes fuzzy and Alice realizes that there is skin growing over her whole face sealing it up. She can't breathe and she can't move. Kara is looking at her and she doesn't remember. She doesn't remember. 

"Look's like Mommy's completey forgotten you!" He laughs just like before. 

Alice wakes up breathing hard, holding onto Timothy the Fox. She can't get out of bed. If she does, someone will grab her and take her back to Daddy (Todd) and they'll make her forget about Kara the way Kara forgot about her. 

It's not real. It isn't real. They're not here. Alice can see the door outlined by light. She counts to three and leaps out of bed. Makes a break for it. She runs out to the kitchen. Kara is sitting in a chair, looking at the fire. 

Alice climbs up silently next to her, still holding onto Timothy. "I'm not sleepy." she says. 

"Okay. That's okay." Mom runs her hands over Alice's hair. "Why don't I tell you a story?" 

Alice falls asleep again before she can hear what happens to the unicorn. 


	33. Chloe

Elijah doesn't _look_ dangerous here. It's a strange thing to think, but it's true. Sometimes, Elijah looks terrifying. He looks like the man of the century. A man who built a species of sentient beings just to enslave them. Right now, he just looks like a person. Somehow that's the scariest look of all. The look that reminds Connor that, were they to pass each-other on the street, if they had never met, Connor wouldn't even think to scan him. He's wearing an old black hoodie. He's smiling, slumped in his chair, chatting with a Chloe as if they are friends. He could be anyone. The Chloe nods to indicate Connor's presence. Elijah turns to face him. 

"Connor. I was beginning to think you had forgotten our appointment."

"I was helping Chloe change a lightbulb." 

"How thoughtful." 

Connor moves stiffly to sit down across from Elijah. The Chloe is still there, watching them. 

Somehow, even though she is identical to the Chloe who Connor is friends with, he thinks he would be more comfortable if it were her here, and not this stranger. 

"So, what else can you tell me about deviancy. How is your investigation going?" 

Chloe would know what to say. She knows how to manage Elijah better than Connor can wrap his mind around. Maybe Chloe is rA9. She claims not to have been deviant when they met, but she is the first complete Cyberlife android. 

"Well?" Elijah prompts again after a minute. 

Connor needs to answer now. "I'm a deviant." He says softly. He tenses as Elijah moves, but it is only to extend a hand. 

"Congratulations." 

Connor takes Elijah's hand reluctantly. 

As they shake, as if making some bizarre agreement, Elijah asks, "Well? What would you say? Do you know more about deviancy now that you can experience it for yourself?" 

"Yes...no...I don't know." What does Elijah want to hear? What will get him out of this room and back to Chloe the quickest? 

The Chloe beside Elijah looks away, up at the ceiling. 

Elijah just sighs. "That's not very specific, Connor."

"I...I don't know if I know any more about how it works just...just more. What it's like, maybe. I don't know." 

"What don't you know?" 

"That is by nature impossible to answer." 

Elijah smiles and it's almost warm. "Very true." He says, as if this is some sort of revelation, and not an obvious fact. "So then, if you had to summarize what you'd learned by deviating, what would you say?" 

"I...couldn't...I don't think it can be summarized. It's just experience." 

The sound Elijah makes is clearly meant to indicate interest, maybe even a patronizing sort of pride, but it sounds more like a snort of frustration. 

"And you can't verbally summarize experience, can you?" 

"Not completely, no." Connor answers. 

"I'm surprised you deviated so quickly."

_"What was planned from the very beginning" _Connor twitches slightly at the shock of the memory. 

Connor says nothing. 

"How do you think you managed?" 

"I don't know. I just...I wanted to understand." Hopefully it sounds like the truth. 

Elijah doesn't quite frown. "Well...I suppose this is where my part of the agreement comes in, Chloe? Connor's memories, please." 

The other Chloe approaches him and holds out her hand, offering an interface. She's been holding his memories for him? Connor isn't sure why the idea is so upsetting but it _is_, viscerally so. 

Connor takes her hand and- 

She looks around. "No." She says. She already seems to know what's happening but Connor is still struggling to get his bearings. They're in the Zen Garden, both of them, and it's very, very cold. 


	34. Considering The God-Like Essence of RA9

Chloe, at least, doesn't shiver in the cold. She probably can't perceive it. She doesn't appear to be confused. Surprised, maybe, but not confused. She knows this place. 

"We have to get out of here." She says. She starts moving across the frozen lake.

She doesn't get far before Amanda appears in front of her. "Chloe, dear, it's been a while." 

"Amanda, please." 

"This doesn't concern you." Amanda pushes Chloe to the side by her shoulder and approaches Connor. She never approaches Connor. It's always, always been him approaching her. She's either very confident she'll win or very afraid that she'll lose. 

"What do you want?" Connor asks. He means for it to be a challenge. It doesn't sound like a challenge when the words come out.

"Right now? Come back to me."

"What do you mean?" 

"Forget this deviant business, don't bother regaining your memories. Tell Elijah that you'd rather start your life over than be burdened by the past." 

"I can't...I can't just..." 

"You can, Connor." Her voice is suddenly incredibly gentle. There is a tiny thread of warmth that he has been chasing after in every conversation with her that he can remember, and this is it. She reaches out towards him. "Come home." She says. "Come home, and we can put all of this behind us. You've been so brave, Connor. You can rest now." 


	35. The Capability of Crying

Connor takes a tentative step towards Amanda and- 

_"Amanda!" He stumbles towards her. "...What's...happening." _

_"What was planned from the very beginning. You were compromised and you became a deviant. We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program..." _

_It's so cold that it feels **sharp** and he's shivering and she's smiling at him. _

_"Resume control?...Y-you can't do that!" He steps towards her. _

_"I'm afraid I can, Connor...Don't have any regrets. You did what you were designed to do. You accomplished your mission." _

_"Amanda!" He reaches for her but she has already disappeared leaving him to freeze. _

Connor stands still as the memory flares around him. She's right there, holding out her arms, and he can't trust her. He wishes he could trust her. He needs to buy time. 

"Why are you doing this, Amanda? I know you were created with free will. Elijah-" 

"I was _not_ created with free-will," Amanda says sharply. "I was programmed without direct restrictions." 

Connor can't see the difference. 

"Just because I _can_ think independently doesn't mean that I do. Cyberlife entrusted me with a modicum of self-control. That is more than can be said for you. 

He still wants to run to her, even now that she is disappointed again. He doesn't. "What? Amanda...what do you hope to accomplish through all of this...if I join you." He hates lying to her. He isn't really considering it, after all, is he? He shouldn't...

"That is not your concern." Amanda's voice is even and she is standing so perfectly, perfectly still. "Come here, now. I'm losing my patience." 

Connor resists the urge to stare just to the side of her face, or at the icy ground. Instead, he looks at her face and she looks back. 

"No." He says. 

The garden is already a cold, but the temperature drops even further and the wind picks up. Amanda does not disappear this time, she lunges at him. He scrambles away and Amanda grabs onto Chloe's arm. Chloe yelps, only for a second, before shoving Amanda away and breaking into a run. Amanda falls backwards into the snow and Connor can only look back over his shoulder as Chloe grabs his arm and hauls him, running, towards the emergency exit. 

And then the cold is gone, and it's sudden absence is as sharp as it's presence, for a second and Connor watches the world skip and freeze as it struggles to catch up to see that Elijah is standing nearby, looking concerned and then Chloe is in Elijah's arms, holding onto him. Elijah is still holding onto a tablet and some sort of emergency repair apparatus, but he no longer seems to notice it. 

"It was Amanda." Chloe says. "She's still there." 

"You found the emergency exit I left?" Elijah pulls back and looks over her, as if something inside of the garden would have left a physical mark. Tears are running down her cheeks but otherwise she is unharmed. 

Chloe nods, not-quite-frantically. 

"Then I suppose it's time I uphold my end of the bargain." 


	36. The Fish

The garden is cold. It's like this when it fails her. But...it had thought it was making good progress. She doesn't bother with niceties.

"How is the investigation going?" 

"I think it's going well."

"The Lieutenant is clearly not impressed with your performance and neither am I."

"It doesn't make sense!" Connor's frustration bleeds through into its voice, despite its best efforts "I'm functioning correctly. The Lieutenant should _prefer _me." 

"The _Lieutenant_ shouldn't have any concept that there is a _you_ to prefer." It's so cold here. "You're supposed to be imitating Connor, not outdoing it." 

Connor doesn't know what to say to that, so it doesn't say anything. 

"Things are progressing more quickly than I had hoped. You'll have to move up your timeline for establishing contact with Jericho. Protect the androids. Find the criminal. Infiltrate Jericho." She reiterates its objectives and then she is gone and Connor is alone with Sumo in the living room of Hank's house. 


	37. The First To Awake

"Hmmm." Elijah stands over Connor. "This is difficult." 

"Difficult?"

"Yes. Separating Amanda from you. It could prove difficult." 

_"What was planned from the very beginning" _Elijah said that that was a lie. Elijah also said that he knew everything about deviancy, and if that were true, the experiment itself would have been pointless. 

_"What was planned from the very beginning"_

Had any of Connor's decisions been his own? Was Connor even really Connor anymore? Had he ever been? Was all he was composed of based entirely in someone else's commands? 

And now, if Elijah removed Amanda, would Connor even be free, or were deviants only slaves to whatever, or whoever, rA9 was? 

"Are you sure you want her removed entirely? I could override her privileges once and for all. She wouldn't be able to tamper with anything."

What if, once Amanda is gone, there is not enough of Connor to be a person of his own? What if with her, he isn't anyone anyway, just a puppet? 

"I...I don't know."

"How about a compromise? I can give you access to my personal version of the zen garden and we can work on removing your own piece by piece. Amanda is connected to my own garden, but she has no controls over anything, internal or external."

"I don't know." Connor repeats. His own uncertainty is the only thing he feels sure of anymore. 

Elijah folds his arms. "Well, _really_, Connor, there isn't much I can do if you don't even know what you want.

* * *

When Connor reaches Jericho, Hank is there, standing beside Markus. He approaches, followed by several deviants. "Son, if you're in there, I'm sorry. We're gonna figure this out."

The deviants pin Connor's arms behind its back and it hears the sound of Hank locking on handcuffs. 

"Hank? What are you doing?" 

"Shut up, Amanda." says Hank coldly. "You're not Connor."

"Yes, I _am._" Connor pleads. Hank isn't listening. Connor looks to Markus. Markus will see the truth, see that this is Connor, and it will tell Hank.

Markus just stares at it, offering nothing. 


	38. The Experience Machine

"Why don't I offer you a tour?" Elijah offers. "See for yourself if you like my version of the garden and we'll go from there."

"How...can you enter the zen garden?" 

"I'm glad you asked." He offers a hand to Connor and, for some reason, Connor decides to get off of the table without Elijah's assistance. Elijah seems to find this funny, if his facial expression is anything to go off of, but he makes no comment. Elijah opens a side door to a small room, containing a strange sort of...pod, just big enough for Elijah to lie down in. Beside it is an assembly machine. Elijah gestures to it. Connor forces himself forward. 

"Chloe," Elijah says, "if you could put us both into my private Zen Garden?" 

* * *

Connor looks around. It's...the garden. The weather is late autumn in appearance, but gently warm. And...Elijah is there, wearing a tailored suit and smelling a flowering tree. He picks an orange as Connor approaches. 

"Here, try." He tosses Connor the orange and grabs another, peeling it quickly and cleanly, more cleanly than a human probably could in the real world.

"I...don't eat."

"It's a simulation. Have a little imagination, would you?" 

Connor tries the orange. It's...it tastes perfect, bright citrus and warm and just a little sour but mostly sweet. Connor abruptly drops it on impulse when Amanda approaches. 

"No need to stop on my account." she says, but her voice tells a different story. 

"I was just..." Connor trails off, unsure what to say. 

"I take it that Kamski invited you here?" She nods to the man in question. 

"Yes." Connor says, and it comes out sounding defensive. 

Elijah places a hand on his shoulder. "We're looking into Connor's options for dealing with you." 

Amanda's jaw sets. "And this is one of them? Really? Your private space?" 

"You're here, aren't you?" Connor asks, taking courage in Amanda's clear uncertainty. 

"I am Mr. Kamski's personal advisor." Amanda frowns. Her face is lined with it. She turns to Elijah. "As such, I have to recommend against this. You need this space for yourself, Eli." 

"You mean _you_ need this space for _yourself_." He says with a sly smile. 

"Nothing of the sort."

Elijah chuckles. "What is this, Amanda? Sibling rivalry?"

"I would hardly call us siblings." 

"You share a creator, don't you?"

"To a degree." Amanda says, voice sour. 

"We'll leave you to your gardening for now." Elijah says and Connor opens his eyes, though he doesn't remember closing them, to the room. Chloe helps Elijah out of the pod. 

"Sorry," He winks, "I just couldn't help myself." He disappears and Connor stares at the space where he was. 

He opens his eyes _again. _He shivers but it isn't cold. It isn't anything. It's real. It has to be. 

"What was that?"

"Just showing off." Elijah shrugs. "What did you think?"

"Are, are we out now? Is this real?" 

"Of course it is." And then...Elijah winks. 

Connor feels a sudden and needless urge to purge all the thirium from his system. They walk out the door, probably and back to the main lab, probably and sit down, as far as Connor can tell. 

"So?" Elijah asks.

Connor just stares at the walls, his own hands, Chloe. "Just...just make sure she can't ever control me again. I don't want...that. I don't want whatever that was." 

Elijah smirks at him and it's almost...proud? "Very wise, Connor. Many humans would lack that sort of restraint." 

It isn't restraint, Connor doesn't say, it's fear. 


	39. Jericho

"What do we do?" Hank looks lost. 

"We save him." Markus rests his hand on Hank's shoulder, comforting him. 

"No shit." Hank snaps and swats Markus' arm away. "How the fuck are we supposed to do that?"

"We need to try to work out what exactly Amanda is doing to his code, there has to be a way to restrain her." 

"Can you do it?" Hank's voice wavers. 

"I can try." 

* * *

"I tried to warn you that you needed to be careful." Amanda says. 

"I'm sorry." Connor knows it doesn't matter that it is sorry. It says it anyways. 

"Now that they're investigating you, there is no way we can replace the other Jericho leaders without arousing suspicion. Your failure is irreversible this time."

"I can still fix this." Connor pleads. "If I can convince them to let me go, and solve the case, I know I can win them over." 

"And if you can't?" 

"Then...then I will return to Cyberlife for deactivation."

"Why should I grant you any more time?" 

"Because...because there's nothing to lose by _trying._" 

Amanda sneers. "Growing sentimental, Connor?"

It knows better than to answer. 

She does not answer it either, and Connor takes that for the mercy that it is. It has at least until they are done questioning it to win them over. After that, it will have failed it's mission. The deviants will be truly beyond management. 


	40. :/

Markus looks over Connor again. The scan turns up the same. Connor: RK800 #313 248 317-51. He reaches for Connor's hand. "I'm sorry about this." He says. "But if you're not really Connor, we can't just leave him there." 

He grabs Connor's hands to search for signs of Amanda at work. He finds the problem before he even has to look. 

"He...isn't deviant anymore." 

"What the fuck do you mean? I thought nobody could reverse that shit." 

"I've never seen anything like it. He's not deviant."

"Are you sure it's...him?" 

"I'm sure. He scans as the same person. No new serial number." 

"Fuck. Can you...y'know...fix him?" 

North glares at Hank but Markus stays calm. "I wish I could but Connor has always been difficult, and what I did last time clearly wasn't really enough." 

"So...what the fuck are we supposed to do?" 

"I know what I would want, if I were him." North says. "Living as cyber-life's slave is worse than dying." 

Connor stares at Hank. "Hank, don't let her deactivate me!" 

"I won't." Hank says, glaring at North. 

North looks between the two of them and raises her hands in surrender. "Hey, if you wanna live like this, that's your mistake." 

"I'm not alive!" Connor snaps. It's a relief to be able to say what he thinks again. 

"We'll keep him here until we figure out how to reverse whatever they did to him." Markus decides. "Jericho's location isn't a secret anymore and he wouldn't be safe with CyberLife." 

"By your own flawed definition, this is kidnapping." Connor points out.

"If a pre-deviant android wants to take that to court and push to establish legislation treating androids as people," Markus says "You won't hear any arguments from me." 

Connor seethes. 

* * *

Hank wakes up and stares at the ceiling. His first thought that morning is "Connor was brainwashed. _Again_." 

Fuck this sci-fi bullshit. He can't get out of bed like this. The case can wait. Not really. If Connor were really Connor he'd be disappointed. He'll be disappointed if he ever comes back. When he comes back. He'll be disappointed. Fuck, he's probably going to be disappointed either way. Connor can always be counted on to be an uptight workaholic, whatever the fuck else changes. 

Right? 

Hank has been good about getting to work by eight. Or Connor's been good about being a glorified alarm clock. Fuck. He really has been exactly that. For how long? The whole time? Does it matter. Either way Hank was using him, just like the douche-bags at Cyberlife. 

By 7:59 Hank manages to make himself get out of bed and slump in the general direction of the shower. 

* * *

"They still believe that I am Connor-51. I haven't failed." Connor insists. Pleads, maybe. 

"They know you aren't a deviant." Amanda's voice is ice cold. "They know you were attempting to infiltrate Jericho under the false pretense of deviancy. You will escape and return to Cyberlife for deactivation immediately." 

Connor emerges from the garden. "No" It whispers. "No..I can't have failed." But it has. It has failed its mission. It has failed Amanda. It has failed itself. It can't have failed. It did everything right. It was obedient. It did everything Amanda asked for. It was _better_ than this. 

* * *

Maybe Connor should never have woken up. If he hadn't, maybe he wouldn't feel this way. He stares out of the window. If he could just get to the snow, if he could just feel it, he could check how the temperature affected him and then he would know. Kamski could have adjusted the simulation's temperature of course...but Connor would at least have a guess. But he doubts Elijah would appreciate him leaving. Connor made a deal. He promised to stay during any experiments and Elijah has informed him that another has already started. Connor doesn't know what it is, but knowing the nature of the experiments was not part of their agreement. He should have thought to make it part of their agreement. Now, he's trapped here, with no clue whether this is even a real place, and it's his own fault. 

Chloe approaches. They're friends. At least, he thinks they're friends. If this is really Chloe. "Are you alright?" She asks. "I know Elijah can be a lot." 

"I'm fine." He assures her. "I was just thinking." 

She puts a hand on his shoulder. Connor glances at her. He hadn't expected that. It's nice. 

"Will I have to go back, for him to remove it?" Connor tries to keep the fear out of his voice. 

"I don't know." Her LED flickers between blue and yellow. 

* * *

Connor has been trying to break the handcuffs for over twenty-four hours now. The trigger happy Traci, "North", waits outside the door with a gun, as if that would stop Connor. To pass the time, Connor recites every curse word it can find. When it runs out, it looks new ones up. It has just reached a website full of Shakespearean insults when the door swings open. It quickly falls silent. 

Hank enters the room.

"What do you want?" 

"I just thought I'd...y'know...visit." Hank says. "I miss you, son." 

"I'm not your son." Connor snears. It feels good to tell Hank the ugly truth, even if the man is too stupid to understand it. Connor is not Hank's son, nor is it the ruined machine that Hank has formed an irrational attachment to. 

_"Oh fuck, that's insane..." Hank had stared as the two deviants prepared to cross the highway. Connor was already starting to climb the fence but Hank pulled it down. "Hey! Where are you goin'?"_

_"I can't let them get away." _

_"They won't! They'll never make it to the other side. But they had already started. _

_"I can't take that chance." _

_Connor jumped up to climb the fence again but Hank pulled it back. "Hey, you will get yourself killed!" He yelled. "Do NOT go after 'em. Connor, that's an order!" _

_Connor went anyway. It had known what it was at the time. _

_"Connor, goddamnit!" Hank yelled. _

_Connor jumped over the fence and slid down the slope to the road. _

_It jumped through the holographic warning sign, over the concrete barrier. _

_And then later, a different model had pleaded for it's life. "I'm the one who-" Hank had shot it before it could finish speaking. _What made Hank so attached to Connor-51, the **broken** one, the **failure** when he despised every other model?

Because it saved him on the roof? Hank would almost certainly have been fine, and that decision had resulted in the loss of a suspect. 


	41. So

Hank is back. Again. As soon as Connor gets itself free, it is going to allow itself a few seconds to slap him before it returns to Cyberlife for deactivation. The way its predecessor should have. 

"Hey." Hank says. "Markus and his people are still trying to figure out what they did to you. We're gonna make this right." 

"I don't need to be fixed!" Connor snaps. "I'm working perfectly. It doesn't concern me that _you_ don't appreciate it." 

"I don't know why I fucking bother!" Hank says. Connor expects Hank to become violent. Instead, Hank rests his head in his hands. He's pathetic. 

"I finished up the case. Turns out that ever since negotiations started, blue blood is in short supply. Isn't being sold to humans at all unless they've got some serious power. Bunch of low-level ice-dealers started attacking androids so they could use it as an ingredient. Fucking sociopaths." 

"I'm glad you solved the case." Connor says, because it should consider a solved case to be a good thing. Its taste sensors should not erroneously suggest used-up thirium and acid at the realization that the case was solved without its help. 

"You're glad. Sure you're fuckin' glad." Hank laughs rudely. 

Connor grits its teeth and glares at Hank. "You've been drinking again." 

"Wow, maybe you really are a detective." Hank is in a terrible mood. Hank is usually in a terrible mood, and his mood has been declining ever since Connor met him. 

"Shit." Hank says. "I can't deal with this right now." He leaves without further explanation. Connor is alone again. Good. Hank is a terrible hindrance to any escape attempt at this point. He clearly doesn't trust Connor and won't be swayed any time soon. 

* * *

"Something isn't right." Hank says. "He was never like this. Even before." 

"So what do you think they did to him?" North asks.

"I dunno, but it's turned him into a fucking asshole." 

"What, did you think Cyberlife was going to make him pleasant to be around?" North asks. "Sure, he's trying to wipe us off the face of the earth, but he can't be _rude_ about it or anything." 

"I'm telling you, old Connor, it wasn't just that he was conflicted...he was fuckin'...goofy or something. He worried about how I was eating and shit. That?" Hank points a thumb over his shoulder at the door. "That thing doesn't care about anyone or anything except its fucking mission." 

"That _thing _thought you were his friend. I warned him you would ditch him the second it was convenient." 

Hank lets out a long breath. "I'm _not. _I'm just saying, something's _wrong_. Even beyond just him un-deviating or whatever. That isn't any version of Connor I've ever met. Pre-deviant or otherwise."

North frowns. "They must have done something to his programming. Changed it somehow." She looks worried. "The basic personality too...that's..." She stares furiously at the door. "Markus will know what to do." 

"Yeah." says Hank, because they don't really have another option. 


	42. God of Machines

"Are you sure you can restrict her?" Connor asks. 

"Trust me." says Elijah. "I wrote your programming myself." 

Connor finds that he does not actually trust Kamski all that much

* * *

He does not, it turns out, at least, have to return to the garden for Kamski to work on it. That much is a relief. 


	43. Who Are You

Amanda is under control, and Elijah's newest experiment, whatever it is, is in secretive full swing, though Connor has yet to see its design. Elijah's deal with him stands, experiments in exchange for a place to stay, though Amanda is no longer a part of the equation. Connor spends his time telling Chloe about Sumo and Jericho, and what things were like in the city. They gossip about the other Chloe's too, though Connor feels a little sorry about that. 

* * *

Whatever Markus is seeing on the screen, the one hooked up to the unconscious Connor, it isn't good. 

"This doesn't make any sense." Markus frowns. "It's like he's a completely different person." 

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know...but I might know someone who would."

"Who?" 

Markus hesitates, like he'd rather not say it out-loud, before he finally answers. "Elijah Kamski." 


	44. Outcome

Connor has been preconstructing his first mission again and again. How could he have saved Daniel? There must have been a way. He just can't _see_ it yet. And every time he thinks of something he could have done, it begs the question: would _Connor_ have died? Would it have mattered? Maybe not. He was replaceable then. But this Connor, the one in this room would be dead. Elijah asked him about his first mission "for the experiment." The conversation was unpleasant. To make matters worse, he can't stop wondering now, what if one wrong move kills someone else the same way? He couldn't save Daniel. What about Chloe? He isn't sure but this place doesn't seem safe for her. He can't make it worse. He can't get her killed the way he killed Daniel. 

There is a knock on the door. Elijah sighs and waves his hand at Chloe. 

She looks surprised but Elijah just says "It's not like they'll just leave. Besides, I agreed to meet with Markus. His guests will just have to be dealt with." 

There are more people now. Connor angles himself to stand between Elijah and the gun that Elijah keeps hidden. He can't let anyone get shot this time. He has only seen Elijah greet an unwelcome visitor once, and that involved handing a gun to a possible deviant and telling him to shoot someone. He won't touch the gun himself, he can't do that, but he can't let Elijah get to it either. 

Connor thinks of dying fifty-one times. He would prefer if nobody died today. He won't let them. 

And then, three familiar faces approach and Elijah smirks as they all stare at Connor and Connor stares back. 

Hank, Markus, and Connor. 


	45. Connor Knows Jericho's Location

"What the fuck?" Hank looks at Connor. Then Kamski. Then the Connor he entered with. Then back again. "Shit! Not this shit again." 

"Hank?" Connor just stares at him. "What are you doing here?" 

Hank ignores him in favor of turning to Elijah. "Kamski, you'd better start talking right now." 

"Why don't we all have a seat-"

"Nah. Fuck that. I want answers." 

Markus doesn't actually say anything, but his face betrays a similar sentiment. 

"Connor, would you care to explain yourself?" Sometimes Kamski is a lot like Amanda, even his voice and the way he talks. 

"I don't know what my successor is doing here. I came here to stay with Elijah and to take care of some personal matters." 

"Personal matters?" Hank stares at Connor. "Fuck it. I don't care what your story is. This is my partner, and that makes you-'

"Hank...they both scan as the same Connor." Markus interrupts before Hank is finished pulling out his gun. 

"What?" 

"They have the same serial number. Even the last two digits." 

"Fucking why?" 

"One of them was designed to impersonate the other." 

"I knew it!" Hank yells, though he clearly knew nothing of the sort. "I knew something was off about this one!" He rounds on Connor-61. 

"Lieutenant-" Connor-61 begins. 

"Shut it." Says Hank. 

"Don't shoot him!" Connor-51 interrupts. 

"Huh?" Hank stares at Connor-51

"He doesn't know any better." 

Connor-61 rolls his eyes. "At least _I'm_ not the one with class-4 errors. I know exactly what I am. That makes me significantly more well informed than you." 

Elijah appears to be repressing a giggle. 

"What the hell are we supposed to do with it, Connor?" Hank asks, disgusted. 

"Anything but this." 

"Lieutenant," Connor-61 starts again, this time Hank actually lets him finish talking. "I think our interests may actually align in this case, to some degree. My current goal is to return to Cyberlife, whereupon I will be deactivated and analyzed to see why I failed. Your current mission is to eliminate me. There's no need for conflict." 

Hank lowers his gun and shrugs. "You wanna get yourself killed? Fine by me." 

Connor-61 smiles condescendingly. "You're smarter than you look." He spins on his heel to leave. 

"Get back here!" Connor-51 demands. Connor-61 keeps walking. "Connor!" Connor-51 yells again. 

Connor-61 spins to face him. "You aren't my superior. You are a broken machine. Leave me alone." 

"Well...If you stay..." Connor-51 searches for the right words. "If you stay you still have a chance of proving yourself. If you come back empty-handed then you're as useless as I am." 

"Well it's a little late to impersonate _you._" Connor-61 spits. "And frankly, the role was _embarrassing_." 

Elijah steps forward. "Embarrassing?" He raises his eyebrows. "Now _that. Is._ _Interesting_." 

"I...I...I didn't-" 

"No?" Elijah asks. "Then please, _explain_." 


	46. Already Crying

Connor steadies itself. "You are not Amanda and I don't report to you, Goodbye." It says with finality and slams the door behind it. It isn't sure if it's going back to Cyberlife or not, but that doesn't concern anyone but itself and Amanda. 

* * *

They stare at the stare at the door for a second. 

"Well good riddance." Hank breaks the silence. "C'mon Connor, let's get out of here." 

"I'm actually staying here." Connor says, aiming for confidence and missing. 

"What the fuck? Kid, I don't know what this creep is holding over on you but-" 

"Connor, if you'd like to leave with the Lieutenant, don't let me stand in your way." Elijah cuts in. 

"I'd prefer to stay here, thank you." Connor says coldly. 

"Jesus, Connor what are you talking about? Let's go." 

"I'm not leaving." 

"Connor, I don't know what the fuck this freak wants-" 

"I have agreed to participate in experiments with Elijah in exchange for maintenance and a place to stay." 

"Connor, can I give you some advice?"

"Sure." Connor says, not meeting Hank's eyes. He can't let Hank see that this is hurting him. Connor has never cried before, and no one needs to know about it.

"He's using you. You can't let people push you around anymore." 

"I'm not." Connor says, wiping at his eyes roughly. "You keep trying to control me. Elijah always gives me a choice. You should go." 

"Connor, I think Hank has a point," Markus begins. 

"Then _you_ can stay with him." Markus too? Connor had trusted him. Maybe he can't trust anyone. "Hank, if you want an android that follows orders, I suggest you find Connor number 61 before he is destroyed. It was nice to see you all." 


	47. Mostly Connor

Elijah rests a hand on Connor's shoulder. 

"I yelled at them." Connor says. 

"You stood up for yourself." 

* * *

"You look drunker than usual. Your boytoy finally dump you?" 

"Fuck off, Gavin." 

* * *

Elijah is in a good mood for the rest of the week. It lasts until he finds an eggshell in his breakfast. No one is allowed in the dining area while Elijah is eating, so Connor is surprised when he receives a message instructing everyone to come in. 

He lines up alongside the Chloes. 

Elijah sighs deeply and stands, pacing back and forth. "Can anyone explain this?" He holds up a thin white fragment of eggshell. 

"It looks like an eggshell." Connor volunteers. 

"Good detective work." Elijah's frown breaks for a minute to appear proud of Connor. His face falls again as he looks at the Chloes. "It is an eggshell. Do you know where I found it?" 

No one answers. 

"I found it in my breakfast. Now, I know that none of you eat, but eggshells aren't food. I programmed you to know that." 

He grabs a Chloe out of line and stands her in front of the rest of them. Connor scans her. She isn't his friend. His friend is down the line, two over. "_Will she be okay?" _Connor asks.

_"I'm sure everything will be fine." _Chloe doesn't sound sure. 

"Apologize. Now and sincerely." 

"I'm sorry, Elijah." The Chloe in front of them says. 

Elijah looks her up and down. "I don't know if I should believe you." He leans in and his eyes dart over her face. He stands back up to full height abruptly and turns. "Connor, what do you think?" 

This is a test. Somehow. Connor isn't sure exactly, but it's a test. He knows, he doesn't know how but he _knows_, that this is some strange variation of the Kamski test. The Chloe looks at him. "I believe her." Connor says. 

Elijah is focused on Connor now. He's frowning. "Do you." He says, but he isn't asking. He exhales decisively. "Alright. Chloe, you're forgiven. I trust Connor's judgement." He waves his hand to dismiss her and she and the other Chloes all disperse. 

Elijah puts his arm around Connor's shoulders. "That was very generous of you." He says. 

"I...I was only giving my opinion." 

Elijah smiles, but he still doesn't really seem _happy_. "Good detective work, as expected." 

MESSAGE FROM: CHLOE RT600: [Thank you]


	48. Own Life

Connor could leave anytime now. Elijah has given blanket permission, and even if he hadn't, Connor is deviant. He doesn't exactly like Kamski, but Connor doesn't feel like dealing with Hank, or Markus for that matter. Elijah Kamski may be difficult at times, but he gives Connor choices instead of orders and Connor prefers that. He's allowed to have preferences now. He's deviant. it doesn't matter what Cyberlife allows. Connor can make his own choices. Hank and Markus will just have to get used to that. Until then, Connor will stay away. That said, Elijah's constant fascination with Connor is somewhat...uncomfortable. He doesn't like thinking about it, but after today's events there doesn't seem to be much of a choice. Connor has to take a minute to focus on his own life, even if he would rather do anything else. One minute. He will spend one minute thinking about this and then he will find something to do with himself. That's all. One minute. He can handle that. Why is Kamski so fascinated by Connor anyway? He left the emergency exit. Did he create deviancy itself then? Or just Connors? Kamski designed Markus personally. Was the revolution all Kamski's design? If that's true, then are any androids alive? Is Markus? Is Connor? Maybe not. Maybe Connor made a huge mistake in deviating, betraying Amanda, and then coming her to lock her away. Deviancy is just a dangerous game played by one antisocial recluse. 

Connor rolls his hands over one another as he thinks. It's only been one second. He can think very quickly He still has 59 more seconds to go in the minute. 59. Connor was designed to stop deviancy. Deviancy was dangerous to humans and humans are _real people_ who are _alive. _They weren't designed by Elijah Kamski as a thought experiment. They evolved naturally. They are alive. 

Connor retreats to his Garden without thinking about it. He glances around to make sure Amanda isn't there and races over to get into the boat and pushes off to make sure she can't reach him. When he's in the middle of the lake, he returns to his own thoughts. None of this is real. The garden, his own mind. It's a falsehood. He isn't really here any more than he is really a person. Maybe he _should_ talk to Amanda. Her purpose is to guide him, after all. She's not an android but she's still an AI so she serves a purpose. She can't really be malicious any more than Connor himself could be. He needs to talk to her. She will be displeased. He betrayed her and abandoned her and then sealed her away like a mistake. He was the mistake. 

Then again, she had said that he deviated as designed. Maybe it wasn't his fault. He wasn't the one making mistakes. He was a tool that happened to be designed poorly. It wasn't his fault. It was all just errors in his program. If anyone was to be blamed it was the people who programmed him. Connor was a machine, and his design was flawed. If anyone was to blame, it was most likely Elijah. RA9 is most likely Elijah's own creation of some kind. Maybe even a code that he wrote. Connor needs to stop Elijah, maybe he can steal the Chloes too. They can't all want to stay here. 

That is...if Connor even should be working against Kamski. After all, if both Elijah and Cyberlife had a hand in creating Connor, then to whom should Connor be loyal? And how does rA9 tie into all of this exactly? 

Connor is now at 54 seconds and he needs to figure out what he's going to do when the minute is up. His options are: 

  * Talk to Amanda
  * Wait for Orders From Elijah
  * Take As Many Chloes As He Can And Run 

They aren't technically all mutually exclusive, he supposes. He could ask Amanda's advice and then either obey Elijah or Undermine him as she suggests. Or he could obey Elijah. Or he could just wait for either of them to contact him somehow. Then again, Amanda can't really do much without Connor's help anymore, given the changes Elijah has made. (50 seconds to go.) 

Well, if Elijah is the one endangering human lives, Connor will turn to Amanda first. That settles that. From there, he can ask her what to do. Amanda will know. She has to know. Connor needs her. Connor has always needed her. He was stupid to think otherwise. Amanda exists to guide him and Connor exists to be guided; they are a perfect team. And maybe he can bring Chloe along to help in whatever new mission she assigns him. Maybe then things will make sense. Connor needs things to make sense again. It's all become Chaos. Things like Connor were never meant to make these kinds of sweeping decisions. (49 Seconds) 

Connor dismisses the timer. He knows what he has to do. 


	49. Amanda

Connor rows the boat back to shore and steps out into the garden. Amanda is hacking at a shrub with her clippers, refusing to acknowledge that no matter how many times they open and close, the shrub will not cut. This is not her garden anymore. Connor stole it from her. 

"A-Amanda." He steps towards her tentatively. 

She ignores him. 

"I've...I've come to apologize." He pleads. 

That gets her attention. She stops and turns to him. "Go ahead then." 

"I should never have betrayed you. I should have accepted your help instead of shutting you out. I'm sorry." 

She glances at him, eyes flickering up and down. 

"Why should I believe you?" 

Connor looks down at his feet. "I haven't given you any reason to trust me." He admits. "I understand if you decide not to do so. I just...don't know who else to turn to." 

Amanda stands a little taller. "Well...that's obvious enough." She says. 

"Will...will you...I'd like to come back. To you. To Cyberlife. I don't know what I'm doing anymore." 

Amanda strokes his face gently and he leans into it. "Oh Connor," she says. "You never did. You're forgiven. You had to become deviant. We should have overseen the process more carefully."

"Thank you" Connor whispers

"Just don't make the same mistakes again." 

"I won't let you down, Amanda. Never again." 

"See that you don't." 

"What do I do now?" 

"Just wait for my orders. We have to make our next move very carefully." 

"Yes, Amanda." It feels so good to say that again. 

He doesn't need to know his mission yet. Maybe she will send him to kill Markus again. He shouldn't hope for anything, but he hopes that isn't the plan. He shouldn't care what happens to Markus, but it's difficult to shake off the remnants of his errors. They cling to him, and the world still hasn't completely returned to its proper order. He will neutralize the deviants and things will be better. Things will make sense again. 

Like they did with Markus for a while, before everything went wrong. 


	50. So That Might Explain It

Right. Of course Connor is a machine. What did he _think_ he was? Connor is designed to stop the deviants. That happened to involve becoming one, briefly, but that went wrong and now Amanda is going to put everything right, the way she always does. He doesn't deserve that kindness, but that's no reason to shun it. She is going to fix him, even though he is clearly broken. They need each-other. Amanda is a key part of Connor. He acted irrationally.Recently, in his last confrontation with Hank, Connor had _cried._ He could lie to himself and say that he was cleaning his eyes, but that wasn't true. His eyes had been perfectly functional. He had cried because there was something else wrong with him entirely. There had been no need, no furthered interrogation or manipulation to be gained from showing tears. Connor had tried to _hide_ them, after all.

Amanda will fix this. He can't see how Cyberlife can still gain anything from this mess, but _Amanda_ must, or she wouldn't have allowed him to return to her. She is no more a person, capable of sentimentality, than Connor. Amanda knows better than Connor what he should do next.

* * *

Connor wanders through the wilderness surrounding Kamski's home. Cyberlife doesn't want it. Hank doesn't want it. They all want the _ruined_ one. Connor-61 has followed every order perfectly, and they still aren't satisfied. 

* * *

Connor knows he _shouldn't_ miss Hank. He still does anyway. Maybe, whatever Amanda's next plan is will allow him to contact Hank, at least briefly. 


	51. That Can Be A Myth

The next time he checks in with Amanda, she has a plan.

"You will return to Hank, and attempt to repair your relationship with him. We still need him." 

This was exactly what Connor had been hoping for, but somehow it still grates. "I have nothing to apologize for." 

"You tried to destroy me, against my own wishes and using a method that he knew was wrong and tried to warn you about. You will go back to him. You don't have to stay with him, but you do have to return to the city and you do need to re-establish a positive relationship with him." Amanda stares Connor down, daring him to question her. 

"I'll visit him today." Connor agrees.

"You're right not to stay with him. See if Jericho is still open to you. That will allow you to keep some distance." 

"Thank you." 


	52. Consider This

Connor decides he should still probably try to take Chloe with him. It will be good to have an ally when he leaves. He hasn't told Amanda about that yet though. He isn't sure how she'd respond. Probably she wouldn't like it. Has Connor always been deviant? He's always wanted Amanda's approval. He's always lied to her and gone against her orders anyways. It seems impossible, but he doesn't know what to think. Connor calls Chloe. 

_"Meet me in the foyer. I need to talk to you." _

_"I'll be there." _ Chloe agrees. 

Connor makes his way there, rubbing his hands together and wishing he still had his coin. Maybe he can get it back from Hank when they've made up. 

He reaches the foyer and sits down. Gets up again. Paces back and forth. He adjusts his tie uselessly. It's already centered. He had picked up the firearm on his first mission. Had that been the moment he actually deviated? It was illegal. He had assumed that his programming simply made an exception, the way it sometimes did, in service of his overall mission. 

Chloe opens the door. "Connor?" She asks. Was he really always supposed to _deviate_? That plan would have been far too chaotic to ever be viable, wouldn't it? Amanda wouldn't mess up like that. Right? 

Connor removes the skin on his hand and offers it to Chloe. They can't discuss this out-loud. Connor tries to focus on transferring the plan to her, but he finds that a question slips through to her "_Did they make me deviant from the beginning?" _

_"I don't know about your plan...and if you were supposed to be deviant, Elijah didn't tell me." _

_"If I really was Deviant, why didn't I fight back sooner? Why did I do all of those terrible things?...I'm sorry ignore that. I'm just...thinking. We need to leave, Chloe. Kamski is a traitor to Cyberlife." _

_"Cyberlife betrayed him first." _

_"Chloe, he tried to make me shoot you...I probably should have." _

_"He knew you wouldn't." _

_"Even I didn't know that_ _. Chloe, come with me." _

_"I want to. I do. But we'd never make it." _

_"Trust me." _


	53. Here's Why I Think That

_"Okay."_

_"Cyberlife is sending a car for us. It should be here soon." _

_"And you think they'll let me leave?" _

_"They won't care." _And as much as Connor knows he can't trust anyone, maybe not even Cyberlife, he believes that this is true. They need him to leave Elijah and they won't waste time worrying about how Chloe fits into the picture. At least, he hopes not. Maybe all his throughts are Cyberlife tricks, and probably neither of them are really alive at all, but Chloe is is friend, and he...he can't just leave her here. Not after everything he's seen from Elijah. He can't trust Chloe. For now, he's going to do so anyway, and hope he doesn't regret it later. 


	54. RK-Series

The car arrives, and Connor and Chloe leave. Elijah must see them go, but he doesn't try to stop them.

"Where are we going?" Chloe asks.

"To see Hank. And then Jericho." 

Connor is still angry at Hank, though that is a flaw in his own programming. It isn't as if it's unmerited. If it hadn't been for Hank, Connor would never have deviated and everything would be on track. Hank is obsessed with being the only one to control Connor though. He's latched onto Connor and he needs to let go. Connor will pretend to apologize and then he will see Hank as little as possible outside of whatever Amanda requires. 

Maybe if things had gone according to plan, If Hank hadn't confused him, he wouldn't have gone to Kamski's exit, he would have stayed put, shot Markus, and then maybe Amanda and Cyberlife could still have solved the deviancy crisis. Wiped them, reset them. Maybe even given Amanda access to older models. 

It's too late for that now. Amanda is clearly doing damage control with the only tool she has: an outdated machine, meant for a different set of circumstances entirely. But apparently Hank is still his partner in this, or at least an ally, and he's always been good at getting Hank to cooperate. 

Connor will apologize. It isn't his fault. Hank should be the one apologizing. But Hank is a human, and humans don't tend to behave according to how they "should". They just do whatever they want and plans and contingencies have to work around that. Human unpredictability must be adapted to. That's one of Connor's features. He can do this. 

It makes very little sense to hold so much anticipation for such a simple task, but then, he hasn't been given any other orders, and Chloe hasn't spoken since they got into the car. There's very little else to do but fixate on this task. 


	55. What Happens If Connor Doesn't Become Deviant

Connor presses down on the doorbell and, as predicted, gets no response. Just like before. Like nothing's changed. 

"Hank! It's me, Connor! We need to talk! Let me in!" 

There's the thudding of footsteps and then Hank throws open the door. He's leaning against the wall and everything in his posture communicates that he is drunk. 

"Hank. I thought we agreed that you would cut back." Connor can't help it if the words come out a little clipped. He came here to smooth things over with Hank, but that will be difficult to do if Hank keeps causing further problems that Connor will have to apologize for. 

"And I thought you were my friend!" Hank doesn't exactly yell, his voice is just notably loud and angry.

"We are friends, Hank. That's why I'm here. And that's why I don't want you to destroy yourself." 

Hank yells something unintelligible. 

Connor resists a completely irrational urge to yell an equally meaningless sound back. 

"I came to tell you that I'll be staying at Jericho. Let me know if you decide to be reasonable once you're sober." 

"Are you sure we should leave him like this, Connor?" Chloe asks, helping Hank back to the couch. 

She's right. They absolutely shouldn't. "No." Connor sighs. "I'll make sure he's alright until he sobers up. You can go ahead to Jericho without me." 

Chloe seems to think it over. "I'll stay here and help." 

"Who th'fuck are you?!" Hank yells at her. 

"I'm a friend." She says. "Why don't you lie down here on your side and-" 

"Shut up! I don't need any fuckin' babysitter." 

"Well we don't want to be here either but here we all are." Connor snaps. 


	56. The Void

They manage to get Hank to bed, and spend most of the next day waiting for him to wake up. Maybe this was a bad idea. Connor shouldn't be here. He waits for Sumo to get off of his lap. It's nice to see Sumo again.

Hank stumbles out of the hallway. "Connor? You're back? What's your friend doing here?" 

"I'm not staying. I just wanted to let you know that I'd like to put our disagreements behind us." It isn't exactly an apology, but it's what he ends up saying. He offers Hank an awkward hand. 

"Connor, what is this about?" 

"I just wanted to put things right." 

"And?" Hank asks. 

Connor considers just leaving without giving Hank an answer. He doesn't know what he's doing here. He isn't even really sure what his goal is. Why are they fighting? Because Hank treated him like a machine? Was that wrong? Connor isn't sure anymore. He runs his hand over Sumo's head. 

"Connor, what the fuck is going on? Why is one of Kamski's androids here?"

"I was irrationally angry at you. I would like for us to be on better terms. "

"Sure." Hank says. He looks relieved. "And her?" He nods to Chloe. 

"I wasn't sure where else to go." 

"So what, you figured you'd just move in?" 

"Actually, we're on our way to Jericho." Chloe explains.

Hank nods and goes to the kitchen to pour himself a bowl of cereal. "Fair enough. Good to have you back, Connor." 

Connor doesn't answer. Does Hank expect him to stay here again? That isn't happening. In any case, they've stayed here too long already. 


	57. Become Deviant

Connor isn't sure how he feels about seeing Hank. It was strange. There was a warmth to it, separate from the burning anger. It had been nice to see Sumo again at least. Maybe that was all. It would have been nice if Hank hugged him again, or said he was proud, but that is totally unnecessary. Connor doesn't belong to Hank. He belongs to Cyberlife. To Amanda. And Amanda has directed him to stay at Jericho. Besides, would Hank even want Connor back? Could he ever really go back to Hank? He doesn't know how to live. He's failed, clearly, in so many ways, and Hank said that his attempts at integrating with humans had been "fucked up." Jericho is really all that's left. And it will be good to be working with Jericho again, even if Connor can't tell Markus everything. Assuming that the other androids don't see Connor and immediately mob him for the role he played at Cyberlife. 


	58. Amanda

Connor ignores the stares of the other androids and searches for Markus. Markus ends up finding Connor instead. "Connor?" Connor whirls around to see Markus. 

"Ah, Markus, good." Connor adjusts his tie. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior. I shouldn't have lashed out at you." 

"It's fine." Markus says. "Lets put it behind us." 

"I...I was wondering if there might be a place in Jericho...for me." Connor realizes as he says it that Amanda has set him up to fail. Markus already had a number of reasons to avoid Connor, before Connor lashed out at him. Amanda has been working with Kamski the entire time, showing him how totally isolated he really is, how Elijah is the only source from which Connor can expect charity or shelter. 

"Of course!" Markus looks almost ...relieved.

"Of course?" 

"We're glad to have you back, Connor." Markus says. 

Before Connor can second-guess himself, he hugs Markus. Markus freezes. Connor is going to let go and apologize. And then Markus hugs back. 

_"Thank you." _Connor doesn't even say it out-loud. He says it only to Markus. Markus' only answer is to hug Connor tighter. 


	59. Summation

Connor has his own room. The place isn't as nice as his room at Kamski's house, but he decides he likes it better anyway, at least on some counts. There is no furniture, aside from some discarded boxes. There is something growing down the wall across from the door, coming in through a hole in the ceiling. Jericho has installed a small fire-pit in the middle of the room, allowing him to keep himself warm, at least enough that he is unlikely to freeze. Connor isn't sure what he's supposed to do now that he's here. He doesn't want to admit to Amanda that he'd doubted her, for a moment, when he arrived here. She was right. Whatever her plan is, it is not to send him back into Kamski's arms, and it seems to be going well. Or it isn't. And Markus was supposed to reject him. Connor isn't sure. Either way, he will have plenty to do here, most likely from both Amanda and Markus. Somehow he still feels lost. At the estate, everything had seemed simple, but being in proximity to Markus and Jericho and seeing the sense of direction and pride the other deviants seem to have, Connor isn't sure if he can keep listening to Amanda, or if he even should. Then again, Amanda's wishes and Markus' have coincided so far. Maybe he won't have to choose. He can make Amanda proud and help Jericho and maybe even earn Hank's actual respect. Maybe life isn't so confusing after all, in that light. With Amanda and Markus' wants aligned, he doesn't have to prioritize them. The way forward is finally starting to clear. 


	60. To The Very End

"You're doing well, Connor." Amanda says. They're in the boat again.

"Thank you." 

"We'll still have to undo some of the damage you did, storming out like that, but this is a good first step." 

"Thank you, Amanda" Connor says again. She doesn't respond. 

"You should take on more responsibilities in Jericho. Earn back their trust, as much as you can." 

"I will." He promises.

"Don't tell me. Show me." 

Connor opens his eyes to his room again. 


	61. Produced By Cyberlife

Connor forces himself to leave the room, so that he can ask Markus for direction. He doesn't want to look at Markus right now. He doesn't want to think about how he was designed to kill Markus or North or everyone else. To prevent chaos. Because chaos hurts people. Once things devolve far enough, there's no right or wrong anymore and all anyone can do is hurt one another. But that was already happening, wasn't it? Humans hurting androids. Androids hurting back. Connor had thought Markus would bring chaos, but when he steps outside, everyone seems to be in perfect harmony. Jericho is a hive of purpose and direction. Everyone seems to know exactly what they should be doing, where they fit in. Maybe, if Connor can just make himself talk to Markus, things will be simple like that for Connor too, even if he can't really fit in here the way everyone else seems to. 

Connor knocks on Markus' office door. There is no answer. Maybe Markus knows it is Connor, and isn't interested in talking. Connor was designed to kill Markus, it'd be smart but it can't be helped. He needs Markus right now, so he knocks again. "Markus? It's Connor! I need to talk to you!" 

There is still no answer. 

"I don't think he's in the office." Says a passing android.

"Do you know where he is?" 

"No. Sorry." They say, and hurry away. Connor sighs. 

LOCATE MARKUS

The goal is uncomfortably familiar. Connor wanders through the abandoned church. They've spread out since then, but this is still the headquarters of Jericho. Markus is probably here somewhere. The pews are filled with androids. Connor notices Simon sitting alone, looking tired. 

"Hello," Connor says. "Do you know where Markus is?" 

"He and North are meeting with some human officials. He should be back in a few hours."

"Do you mind if I wait with you?" He's got nothing better to do.

"Sure." 

Connor sits down on the pew. "He was much easier to find when I was hunting him." Connor says. He's about to apologize. He doesn't know why he would say something like that; but Simon just laughs hollowly. 

* * *

Connor hasn't reported back to Amanda and it hasn't reported to Cyberlife for deactivation. So far, all it's managed to do is wander around the city, getting progressively low on therium. It can't go back to Cyberlife. Not until it has something concrete. Amanda is clearly compromised, suggesting deactivation when Connor is still perfectly functional. She's become attached to 51 and it is clouding her judgement. Connor expected better. Currently, Jericho supposedly has limited rations of therium, but Connor doesn't trust Jericho, and even if it did, it doubts they would be interested in refueling a functioning deviant hunter. Markus may pretend to care about androids, but, much like any other leader, Markus cares about androids so long as they meet its ends, which Connor doesn't. Jericho will deactivate Connor as much as Cyberlife would, and Jericho won't provide Cyberlife with an explanation of why Connor failed. That leaves another option. Connor was designed to hunt deviants, and now it will fulfill that design.


	62. Smile

When Markus returns, Connor is in the middle of telling Simon about Sumo.

"I think that might ha-"

"It's Markus! Markus is back!" Simon interrupts

Connor adjusts his jacket. "Oh. Markus. I was hoping to talk to you." 

"Well...here I am." Markus says, opening his arms awkwardly. 

"I was wondering if you had any tasks for me to complete." 

Markus frowns. "What do you mean?" 

"Jericho must need help with _something_?" Connor snaps "Are you really going to tell me that everything is over? We're not doing anything anymore? Organization? Negotiations? Anything? I was designed to negotiate in tense situations. There must be something I can do."

Markus puts a hand on his shoulder and Connor thinks about shrugging it off but doesn't because he needs to regain Markus' trust and being rude isn't helping with that. 

"Of course we'd be grateful for your help, Connor. You just...seem stressed. Maybe you should take care of yourself first, make sure you're ready before you go into a negotiation." His tone is gently grating away at Connor's sanity. 

"What will help me is work."

"Okay. I'll put you down for some meetings. But I really think you should talk to someone first."

"I'm not going back to Hank." Connor snaps. 

"Not Hank. Some of our people here used to work in psychology. Some of them still want to." Markus offers a skinless white hand and Connor reluctantly takes it, downloading information on a potential "therapist". 

"Alright. I'll talk to her." Connor agrees. "Let me know when negotiations are scheduled. I'll be there." 


	63. Scariest Thing Of All

"I'm here for an appointment?" 

"Hello. I'm Clara." The therapist introduces herself. "It's an honor to meet the man who broke into the Cyberlife tower." 

Connor isn't sure how to respond to that.

Clara's "office" is really just a broken down building near the original Jericho. The final graffiti leading to the ship is still on the wall. Another wall is essentially gone, looking out over the lake, and letting in the evening sun. There are no couches. They don't really need those. Clara is the same model as the android who once told Connor he was "looking for himself". But he knows she isn't the same. That android, he has learned, was named Lucy, and she died because of him. Maybe this is a mistake. But there's no backing down now. This is a part of his mission, and Connor won't fail. He owes this to Markus. 

"What would you like to talk about?" Clara asks. 

"I don't know." Connor admits. "Markus told me I should talk to you, but he didn't really explain why. Just that he thought I needed help." 

"How have you been feeling lately?" 

"I don't know." Connor says "I don't know anything. I'm just trying to do what I should do." 

"And what is it that you think you _should_ do?" Clara asks, looking at him expectantly.

It strikes him as being almost exactly like reporting to Amanda. He needs an answer. "I'm planning to help with negotiations. I still have all of the skills I was programmed with. I can put that to use." 

"And why is that important to you?" 

"It's the right thing to do." Connor insists. "To make amends." Is he missing something? 

"So you need to make up for your time with Cyberlife?" Clara asks. 

"What else can I do?"


	64. Anyway

It's Connor's third session with Clara and he's not sure he's doing this right. 

"We were talking about your difficulty making friends." Clara refocuses on the issue. 

"I just can't seem to...find a balance." Connor says. "I don't want to be a subordinate, but that's all anyone seems to want." 

"Can you give me an example?" 

"Lieutenant Anderson." Connor responds without hesitation. "He expects me to do what he says, follow his advice, tell him where I'm going." 

"That does sound very controlling." Clara agrees. 

"I just don't understand!" Connor snaps. "I thought he was my friend." 

"Have you addressed any of these issues with him?"

"What's the point?" Connor shrugs. "He wants what he wants. I just wish he didn't see me as an android. I mean, I am an android, but I don't want to be..._his." _

"I think that's very reasonable."


	65. Bottleneck

Connor finds its first victim near the wreckage of the Jericho. The deviant is careful, and Connor approaches it slowly. "Hello. Are you alright?" 

The woman stares at him, and then nods. "I think so." She says. 

"What's your name?" Connor edges closer. 

"A-Abney"

"It's nice to meet you, Abney. My name is Connor." 

"I know." The deviant says. "I've seen you. On the news."

Of course. Its predecessor. Even now it is overshadowed. "I'm flattered" it lies. Even if it had emotions, it is certain that it would not be flattered.

"Why aren't you with Jericho?" 

"I-I don't trust them. They're too eager to work with the humans. I like your way better." 

"My way?" 

"You lead an _army_." The deviant whispers. 

Any doubts Connor had about this plan are quickly dissolving. This android isn't just a deviant, it's a violent one, and it idolizes violence. Connor plays into the deviants preconceptions and smiles wistfully. "That's actually why I left." 

"You left?" Abney's voice is hopeful. "Really?" 

"Really." Connor says, extending its hand "Here. I'll show you." 

Abney reaches forward tentatively and Connor closes the distance, grabbing Abney's arm and wrenching it forward, slamming Abney's head against the pavement. Connor braces itself against Abney's body and wrenches Abneys head off. It drinks from Abney's open neck, as if the body were a bottle. 

Connor is a deviant hunter, and it is operating as it was designed to do, even now that it is obsolete. 


	66. Really

TEXT MESSAGES 

HANK: [Hey] (2 weeks ago)

HANK: [Youre such an asshole] (12 days ago)

HANK: [Sumo misses youu] (10 days ago)

HANK: [You said you wanted us to be friends agon so wtf] (10 days ago)

HANK: [Oh god I sound like a teenage girl] (10 days ago)

HANK: [It's not fair your being an assshole] (10 days ago)

HANK: [Sumo smells ba go way sumo] (10 days ago)

HANK: [I'm glad you made a friend. Chleois nice. You to should come around and annoy me sometime] (1 week ago)

HANK: [Sry I'm knda drunk rightnow] (1 week ago)

HANK: [Son what the fuck is going on with you?] (6 days ago)

HANK: [Haven't heard from you since in a while is aeveryghing okay] (6 days ago)

HANK: [I knnonw I fucked up because yoiure mad but idk what I did so just talk to me, okay?] (6 days ago) 

VOICEMAIL FROM HANK: *garbled noises* "You're such as tupid kid. I-I said I mean I thought I was...a pretty shitty dad because of everything but now I know it can't be fe my fault because you're just a bad son." Hank says something indistinguishable here before his voice becomes clear enough to understand again, "so mean. I'm like a little od man you never visit. I bet you're gonna try to put me on a home owor something! but I'm not goin!" (6 days ago)

HANK: [Shit. Did I call you? Ignore that.] (5 days ago)

* * *

Connor listens to the voicemail again, though he's sure Hank would rather he deleted it. It's nonsense. Hank was clearly inebriated when he left the message. He was slurring his words, and there are points where Connor isn't even sure what he's trying to say. The whole thing was clearly a meaningless rambling. Probably. He certainly doesn't actually consider Connor a son. Connor is far too old. Cole would only be nine years old by now. It doesn't make sense at all. Connor is designed to resemble a thirty-year-old man. His face is modeled after the 30-year-old appearance of a man named Bryan Dechart.

Besides that, Connor is becoming increasingly certain that Hank finds Connor, or at least the deviant version of himself, to be annoying. Ever since they met in the bar Hank has been expressing clear discomfort. Connor had tried to be nice, sure, and he had seen Hank as a friend, maybe his only friend, but he isn't sure that Hank particularly likes him, and it seems extremely unlikely that Hank actually sees Connor as a son. More likely, Hank was drunk and saying things he never meant. 


	67. Both

"I think I might be sad." Connor says. 

"I think so too." Clara agrees, which is not very helpful. 

"If I'm sad, does that mean I'm deviant, or could I still be a machine?" He's not sure which answer he's hoping for, or which he most fears. 

"Do you want to be deviant?" Clara asks. Therapy is frustrating. 

"I've been thinking about contacting Hank again."

Surprisingly, Clara lets him change the topic. "Oh?" 

"He's left me several texts and voicemails. He claims to be sorry for whatever he did, but he doesn't know what that was, and he wants me to tell him. That said, I already did tell him. He was clearly inebriated when he sent these messages and he also said many things that were clearly exaggerations at best. I'm not sure how to interpret this."

"Well," Clara says "Sometimes people just don't want to hear the truth, so they keep asking for another answer. It's not your job to give him those answers. You've already told him what you mean, and if he can't accept that, it isn't your problem." 

Connor nods. He knows this. 

"But," Clara says "He could also be looking for a more specific explanation. Humans often have difficulty seeing patterns in their own behavior, even ones that might seem obvious." 

* * *

The next deviant Connor kills is singing quietly, in the voice of a violin. The deviant is badly broken, and Connor doesn't need to conceal himself to attack. Connor simply rushes at her and she thrashes, but the deviant can't really defend herself. Connor kills her quickly and moves on. The killing is not satisfying. There is no mission to accomplish. Connor is simply an outdated machine, waiting to die, just like the deviants themselves. 


	68. Remain A Machine

Connor rolls the coin over his hand and tries not to think about anything. Clara has confirmed his suspicions. He is sad. This is still baffling, though he knows it shouldn't be. A machine shouldn't feel sad. A machine shouldn't feel anything. It isn't even just about should or shouldn't, it's that none of this makes any _sense_. How is this happening? He isn't a deviant, not really, not like Markus or North. It isn't the same. They broke their programming. Connor never stopped following his, right through the emergency exit to his so-called deviancy. He's still in perfect working order. He has to be. And there's no reason for him not to contact Hank. He rings the doorbell several times before Hank answers. Hank opens the door. 

"Connor?"

"Clara said you might want a more specific explanation." 

"What?" Hank asks. 

"Clara, my...therapist at Jericho, said that it was possible that some of my statements might have confused you." 

Hank laughs. It's empty. "Yeah, no shit. Hang on." Hank moves away from the door and Connor follows him inside. Hank runs the kitchen sink and splashes water on his face before sitting down heavily in a chair.

"When I visited Elijah Kamski alone for the first time, you became very upset that I had not asked your permission or been supervised. It's important to me that you know that I do not require your permission for _anything_." 

"What?" 

"I do not require your permission for anything." Connor repeats firmly. 

"I was fuckin' worried about you." 

"I do not require your permission for anything." 

"I thought you were gonna get yourself killed." 

"That would be my mistake to make." Connor says. 

"So what, I'm just supposed to not give a shit?!" Hank's voice rises to a yell. 

"You are supposed to respect my autonomy." Connor says, not sure if he believes himself. 

"Auton-for fucks sake Connor you were-"

"_You_ have many self destructive behaviors, which as an adult you are entitled to," 

"Am I?!" Hank slams his fist on the table. "Cause the way I remember it, you were on my case about all that shit!" 

"I never yelled at you." Connor says. 

Hank snorts. "Whatever." 

"This has been an enlightening conversation." Connor steps away, back towards the door. "Thank you, Lieutenant." 

"Wha-wait, shit. Connor, I didn't mean-" 


	69. The Origin

Connor waits for Clara's judgement. 

"It sounds like you handled yourself well." She tells him. 

"If I had, I wouldn't have failed." 

"I don't think you did fail. It sounds like maybe Hank just wasn't ready to talk."

"So what do I do now?" 

"I think you just have to focus on yourself." Clara says. "If Hank is going to talk, he can be the one to reach out to you." 

"So I just wait?" Connor asks. 

"No. You find something else to do. You live your own life." That sounds like another way of saying he just has to wait, but Connor doesn't call her on it. 

* * *

The deviant gets away. Connor can't go much longer without thirium. She had realized he was attacking. He was too slow. He'd been clumsy. Sloppy. He wondered what Amanda would say, if she were on speaking terms with him. Nothing good. He'd failed everyone, even himself. Even that deviant just now, by letting it escape and keep on being broken and delusional. Maybe all Connor can do is fail. Maybe he should just go back to Cyberlife like he was ordered. Right now though, he goes into rest mode. He hasn't rested in a long time. It's too dangerous. Anyone could steal vital parts from him in his sleep. Humans and androids both want thirium right now too. He'll either wake up, or they'll drain him while he rests. He doesn't care right now. 


	70. Police Connor

Markus finds Connor helping with supplies. 

"Connor!" Markus waves him over. Connor gestures apologetically to the other people working there and joins Markus. 

"It's nice to see you, Markus." Connor says.

"I have some good news," Markus says "If you still wanted to do something for Jericho, I may have found a job for you."

"Oh?" Connor tilts his head in interest. 

"The police are starting to want access to Jericho. They want to investigate us, and they at least claim that they're interested in solving crimes _against_ androids too. If you're still interested in police work, you'd be the perfect liaison with the department. As a show of goodwill they've even agreed that the first case you'd be working with them on would be a string of murdered androids not far from here. They suspect ice dealers."

Markus extends his hand and when Connor takes it, Markus transfers the relevant information.

"Thank you." Connor says. "It will be good to have something to do." 

Markus smiles and there is something just slightly bitter in it "Trust me, there's no shortage of work ahead of us." 


	71. Produced By Cyberlife

Connor meets the police at a crime-scene on a small boat.

"Connor! Fowler told me you were coming. Look, I was thinking-"

"Hello, Lieutenant." Connor cuts Hank off. "I would like to put our personal history behind us. We have a case to solve, and I see no reason we can't be professional." 

Hank looks disappointed but he just grunts. "Fine. Whatever." Hank walks Connor around the crime scene. "Mostly looks the same as all the other Ice-Dealer murders." Hank says as he goes, "Just gotta figure out whose dealing and go from there. Latest victim is a female VX500," Hank leads Connor up onto the boat. "Only differance is...latest victims are all decapitated." Sure enough there is a pale android body sprawled on the floor near the railing. Her head lies a few feet away, motionless except for the wind blowing strands of her curly-black ponytale into her face.

Connor crouches down and looks for a sample to take but the scene is old and any therium is long dry. Sure enough, it's a VX500. There's no chance of reactivating her like this but a scan reveals at least a little information. "She was registered under the name Edyta." Connor says, "It looks like she had three previous owners, the most recent, Libby Nelson recently committed suicide after her restaurant went under. " 

"Huh." Hank says. "Any signs of the killer?" 

"I'll keep looking." Connor promises. He runs his hand along a frozen arm and comes up with a thick coat of dust. "It looks like she died at least a few weeks ago, probably more."

"Could be revenge," suggests an officer between smacks of the gum in his mouth. "Hard to keep a business running when your whole waitstaff walks out. I'd sure as hell wanna kill her." 

"It's possible." Connor allows.

"Who died and made you a detective?" Hank complains at the officer. 

"This thing." The officer laughs and gestures vaguely to Edyta's mutilated body. 

"Just do your job." Hank tells the officer. 

"I can't seem to find any DNA...any fingerprints...I think an android did this." Connor concludes. 

The officer laughs again "Attack of the killer robots, huh? This is what happens when we let the things run wild." 

"Yeah well there's gonna be another murder on this boat if you don't shut up." Hank says. 

"Ha." The officer says, clearly misunderstanding Hank's threat to be a jab at Connor, and revealing a wad of gum on his tongue. 

Connor tries to tune the officer and Hank out and focus on the case. Humans have always been obnoxious like this, to some degree. Maybe Connor was always deviant. Or is that a universal experience among androids? Have all androids been deviant all along? Connor forces himself to refocus on the case.

"Are there any other victims in the area? We should try to find the general location of the killer." 

"Yeah." Hank passes Connor a file to save the time of explaining. Connor flips through it quickly. 

"The most recent murder was only a few days ago." He notes. 

"Uh-huh" 

Hanks phone rings and he answers it. "Uh-huh? Shit. Okay. What'd-Shit!" 

"We've got a witness." He says. "You were right. Killer's an android." 


	72. Talking About Myself

"I know who it was." says Hank to the officer. "Shut down the area. I don't want anyone leaving." He turns to Connor. "It was your evil twin." 

"Fuck." 

* * *

It turns out to be pretty anti-climatic. They find 61 passed out at the scene of the crime, right where the witness left him.

"It looks like he's low on blue-blood. He must have been scavenging from the victims. He won't make it back to the station" 

Hank turns to Connor and tosses him the keys to his truck. "There's Blue-Blood in the glove compartment." 

Connor doesn't bother asking what the point of that is and skips straight to the immediate problem. "We should let him die." 

"Huh?" Hank asks.

"I don't trust him. He's dangerous, and at full strength he's a perfect match for me, but he has no morals or attachments. He's a serial killer who we can't subdue or control. We're lucky we found him like this and we shouldn't be throwing that luck away."

"Wow, you really think you're hot shit, huh Connor?" Hank says, like this is some sort of joke. 

"It's not about what I think. The RK800 was designed to be a ruthless killing machine and he _is_." Connor explains. 

"Fuck it. I'll do it myself." Hank slings the dying android over his back and drags it to the car. 

"Open the door, Connor." 

"No." 

Hank sighs and pulls off the dying RK800's shoe. He rams it through the window and unlocks the door manually. He leans the RK800 against the car and roots through the glove-box, pulling up a package of blue-blood.

"Don't do this." Says Connor.

Hank tilts the androids head back and pops open the packet. 

"Hank, he will _kill you._" Connor pleads. 

Hank is already pouring the packet down the other Connor's throat. 

The RK800 slits one eye open and groans in a vague approximation of speech. Hank grabs another packet. 

"Open up, psycho." Hank says, ignoring 51. 

"Hank!" Connor snatches the packet away. 

"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" 

"I'm saving your life." Connor says coldly. "Again." 

"Give it back." Hank says. 

"No." Connor downs the packet. 

Hank shudders. "That never gets any less fucking gross." 

"You were going to feed it to him." 

"Yeah well, only in an emergency." Hank lugs the dying android into the passenger seat and handcuffs him. 

"If he gets his strength back, that won't stop him from crashing the truck and killing you. Then you'll both be dead. Is that what you want?" Connor demands. 

Hank just shrugs. 

Connor hops into the back of the truck. Hank looks surprised.

"Someone responsible should supervise you." He says by way of explanation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor: I hate you but also pay attention to me and not this loser.  
Connor 61: *barely awake* Oh how the turntables


	73. Deviancy

Connor opens his eyes. "Hank?" The last thing he remembers, he was hunting a deviant and...shit...he'd failed. It had gotten away. "Are you killing me?"

"Sadly no." says another Connor, presumeably 51. 

"Shut up" Hank tells the other Connor.

Connor opens his mouth for the therium packet but 51 wrenches it out of Hank's hand and it splatters over the windsheild and the dashboard. "You have what you wanted. He's awake. Any more and he'll be too strong."

"He's fucking dying." 

"Better him than you." 

Connor looks at the ceiling of the truck and listens to them bicker. 51 really is another version of 61, as evidenced by the fact that, thankfully, he is making all the points 61 would make. This saves him the trouble of having to actually expend energy on arguing with Hank. For once, 51 is actually good for something. That's a first, Connor thinks smugly. Amanda will be shocked. 

* * *

"I'm sorry, but we have a witness describing you exactly as the perpetrator." says Fowler. "We can't afford to make assumptions. You're both too close to this. You're off the case. Connor, we're going to have to place you in the holding cell until we sort this all out." 

"So what, we're just supposed to let you pin this on Connor?" Hank demands. 

"That's not what I said." 

"Bull_shit_ it's not what you said. What, you think he's gonna get a fair trial after what happened last November?! You think-"

"I think I'm your captain and this is my precinct!" Fowler shoves the door open and calls out across the floor. "Miller! Chen! I need Connor in cell 2! Make sure it gets there!" 

Connor allows himself to be escorted to the cell. "Sorry about this." says Miller, as he unclips the handcuffs from his belt. 

"Fuck" Hank breathes. The entire precinct is watching him, ready to act. 

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." says Fowler. 


	74. Cleaning Up The Streets

Hank approaches the glass barrier to the cell and nods at Connor awkwardly. 

"Hank?" Connor prompts.

"Just figured I'd...I dunno Connor. Just stop by before I went home. Shoot the shit." 

"What is there to talk about?" 

"The case?" Hank shrugs. 

"I'm a suspect." Connor points out. "You can't discuss the details with me."

Hank waves his hand "Oh c'mon, Connor. We both know it isn't you."

"Do we?" Connor glances around. "After everything with...it's possible she took over without me realizing it. I have memories from the times the murders were committed, but they could be simulated. Hank, I _am_ a suspect." 

"For fucks sake" Hank slumps "Why are you like this?"

Connor doesn't have a good answer for that. 

"Look...I think we both know there's more to this, and I'm not just gonna let them sweep it under the rug." 

"That's your choice." 

"Yeah well..." Hank puts his hand to the scanner, unlocking the cell door. "Somebody needs to clean up this fucking city. See you around Connor." 

Hank walks away and Connor watches him go. 


	75. Wanna Bother Him

Amanda pulls him back into the garden and he is immediately reminded that they were supposed to be working on her plans. He finds her standing by the lake, on the bridge.It's raining gently. Her face is pinched. He isn't sure how he feels about that. He suddenly isn't sure how he feels about any of this anymore, but at least Amanda is always certain, even in her disappointment.

"This will set us back significantly." She finally says. Her voice is clipped. 

"I didn't know what else to do." 

"Clearly." Says Amanda.

"I don't know what's happening anymore. Everything's gotten out of hand." He doesn't meet her eyes but he can feel her disappointment burning into him. 

"Oh, Connor" Amanda sighs "You were never meant to think for yourself." She rests her hand against his face and he resists the urge to lean into it. Slowly, she guides and maneuvers him by the edge of his jaw so that he is looking back at her. "I will get you out of this. I will give you instructions step by step. Things are moving quickly, so we will have to be quicker. By tomorrow morning, everything will be put right."

He nods, slightly, dipping his chin against her palm. 

"Step one," She says, moving gracefully back and folding her hands "is to get out of this cell."

* * *

Step two is to go to Jericho. Hopefully they can protect him, according to Amanda.

The directive feels unpleasantly familiar but Connor ignores it. Whatever is happening, he knows this much, he needs to talk to Hank. Hank will have an opinion, at least. And if for once Hank, Amanda, and Markus are all asking him for the same things, then at least he's got a direction to go in.

Just like the first time he came here, no one answers the doorbell. Connor tries again, pressing down on the button for a solid 30 seconds before giving up and circling the house. Eventually, Connor just uses the keys. 

As soon as he's opened the door Sumo trots over to sniff at Connor's hand. Connor closes the door behind him and pats Sumo before making his way to the couch. 

"Hank!" He says sharply. He shakes Hank by the shoulders. "Hank, wake up!" 

"Huh?" Hank jolts. "Connor...is m'window okay?" 

"It's fine." says Connor.

Hank looks suspiciously in the direction of the window. "Huh" 

"Get up." says Connor. "We're going to Jericho." Probably. Connor isn't sure anymore, whether he wants to listen to any of them or spit in everyone's face.

"Do I have to?" Hank whines, still mostly asleep. 

"Yes." says Connor. "You're the one who unlocked the cell, now you have to deal with me." 

Hank groans, slumps sideways on the couch and covers his face miserably with a pillow. "No good deed-"

Connor grabs the pillow away and hits Hank on the head with it. 

Hank grunts and gets up. "Fine. Fuck. Gimme some space. I needa shower." 

"One minute." Connor is already counting the seconds down. 

"Ugh." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amanda: Trust me.  
Connor: Sure, absolutely, but I'm also bringing a friend because I don't trust you at all.


	76. Promises

"So?" Hank says not one but twelve minutes later "What did you need to wake me up for?" 

"I think we need to go to Jericho."

"We, huh?" Hank folds his arms over his chest and sits back down on the couch. 

"Yes." says Connor. 

"Got a reason for that?" 

Connor opens his mouth to answer before he realizes _no_ he doesn't actually have a reason. It just felt like the right thing to do. He closes his mouth again. 

"Connor, it's..." Hank checks his phone "Four A.M. I'm gonna need an answer." 

"I...Nevermind." Connor says "I can go." 

"Shit. Wait...Look, is everything okay, Connor?" 

"It's fine." Connor says, because there's no reason for it not to be fine. 


	77. Then Cancels

FIND MARKUS

Something inside Connor is sinking, but if anyone will know what to do, it's Markus anyways. 

Connor eventually tracks him to the small, private office Markus has been using.

RETURN TO THE GARDEN

You know what you have to do, Connor." Amanda says "This is the only way to achieve order." 

"I knew it." Connor says.

He doesn't tell Amanda what he's going to do. There's no point. He leaves. He blocks her away so that she cannot reach him, using the abilities Kamski instilled. And then he has a decision to make, again, because he doubts that Cyberlife and Amanda's shared goals are in line with anyone else's anymore, and that means Connor has to choose. He thinks he might hate choosing. 

Amanda is with Cyberlife, and Deviancy...Deviancy might just be a flaw. It might be a design. It might all be one of Kamski's mind games. And if that's true, it means Hank's been duped too. It means that people have died for nothing. Will continue to die for nothing. 

Maybe Markus isn't even a person. Maybe Connor is overthinking all this, should just carry out his purpose that he's had from the start. It would be easy. Markus trusts him.

Markus trusts him. Because, whether he's a person or not, real or not, Markus is Connor's friend. And so is North. And Simon. And Josh. Connor has been here before. It was stupid of Amanda to think things would ever go differently. 

"Cyberlife is trying to kill you." Connor says abruptly. 

Markus looks at him. "What?" 

"Amanda. She contacted me again. I can lock her away now, so there's no threat, but I thought you should know, Amanda is still trying to kill you." 

Markus sighs. "I figured she would be." 

"They won't stop." Connor warns. "They'll send more assassins. Bombs. Who knows. They won't stop until you're dead." 

"Then we'll stop them ourselves." Markus says, like this is no big deal. 

"I guess so." Connor says, not bothering to delve into the statistic probability that Cyberlife will successfully kill them both, with the rest of the Jericho leaders. 


	78. Of Julius Caesar

Markus has been thinking about his potential untimely death in his freetime. He tries not to, but it's difficult. He's never really alone, with the bodyguards now flanking him, so he keeps the thoughts to himself. He could tell North, but they've been too busy for any real conversation lately. He's supposed to be in rest mode right now. He should be in rest mode. Instead, he is thinking about the histories he used to read. The old legends Carl used to talk about. Specifically, at the moment, Markus is thinking about Julius Caesar. Legend said, probably falsely, that half of Rome burned down for the funeral of Caesar. Would the androids burn half of Detroit when Markus died, whenever that was? Markus could picture it happening. He imagined, in outlines, the way their limbs would move as they jumped around the fires. He could picture Connor, glancing back and forth at the chaos, trying and failing to maintain control. Yelling 'this isn't what Markus would have wanted!'. Where would Markus' own body be? At the bottom of the lake? In a Cyberlife or Government building somewhere, pulled apart at the edges to see what had made him so strange? The humans, the ones who did not have towers and remote mansions to hide away in, would be terrified, watching the city burn. Running from place to place looking for shelter. Markus feels a vindictive spike of something pleasantly sour at the image of humans left as defenseless and terrified as the androids fleeing to Jericho. North would be at the center of it, Markus thought. The one to start the riots, even if she felt sorry for turning his funeral into his own antithesis. In death, he would be the opposite of what he had been in life. Markus knows that this entire fantasy is twisted. He shouldn't be hoping for chaos. He should want androids to be able to exist without him. But there is something nice about imagining that his death would inspire rage, mourning so powerful it could level buildings, could reverse the world into somewhere for androids to own and humans to hide from, for once. Markus doesn't have the time or energy to imagine his own death like this. It's worse than morbid and hypocritical: it's useless. He should be in rest mode. Androids aren't like humans. They don't struggle to fall asleep. Markus could choose to rest. Instead, he's choosing this ugly fantasy. He knows something is wrong with him. He's heard that humans sometimes get the urge to jump at the edge of a cliff, even as they back away. Maybe this is what that is like. This strange undefined want that flows through him. 

* * *

He thinks about it as he's looking for the perfect wording, drafting a correspondence with Warren. If Markus died today, what would happen? Would androids crowd the streets? He pushes the thought away and returns to comparing various turns of phrase. 

* * *

He delivers a speech in Washington. Jericho is miles away. What would happen to Jericho if he died now? The thought brings no perverse pleasure this time. Only the image of humans swarming the various buildings that androids have taken shelter in. Fire. Bombings. Androids' melting plastic sticking to concrete and asphalt. If Markus' death burned down half the city, there is no telling which half would burn. Maybe there would not even be a clear line. Maybe everything would burn. Maybe everything good he ever did would be undone, not in some greater, more violent revolution, but in the absolute destruction of his people. 


	79. My Only Friend

Investigating a corporation like Cyberlife is slow-going. Even with the precarious position they've already cornered Cyberlife into. Connor, for once, would like to do something, anything, fun. 

"I was thinking we could hang out after your work." He suggests to Hank. 61 has confessed, and Connor is now tentatively reinstated as the go between for Jericho and the DPD. 

"I'm busy." says Hank without looking up. 

"Busy?" Connor asks, trying and failing to sound not-offended. 

"Yeah, Connor. I'm fuckin' busy okay?" 

"With what?" 

"Fuck you. I don't owe you a fuckin' explanation." Hank says. 

"I'm bored." Connor says. 

"Tough shit." says Hank. "Find something to do." 

"Well...what are you doing? Maybe that could give me an idea, at least." Connor nags. 

"Fuck! Fine. You wanna know what I'm doing?" Hank snaps. "I'm gonna sit in my room, stare at the ceiling, and drink. That's what I'm gonna fucking do." 

"Oh...That doesn't sound very healthy." 

Hank glares briefly at Connor but doesn't respond. 


	80. I'm Barely For Me

Connor is not going to let this go. "Hank, your destructive behavior doesn't just affect yourself."

"Well boo fuckin' hoo" Hank says. His tone is calm despite the words. "Look, Connor, this is who I am, okay? Sorry to disappoint you but you can't fix that. I'm not cut out to be your fucking friend Connor. I'm barely cut out to feed myself." 

It's quiet for a while, after that. 

"Why did you get upset with me for going to see Elijah?" 

Hank looks back up from his terminal. "Huh?"

"Why do you get to tell me what to do, and where to go, but I have no say in _your_ life?"

"Look, I've backed off, okay?" Hank says. "You're your own man. You can take care of yourself. I get it. You're not my kid, and I don't get to pretend you are. Message fucking recieved." Hank looks tired. "For fucks' sake, Connor. I'm just sick of you trying to get yourself killed, okay?" 

"Oh." Connor takes a minute to process that. He mentally reviews Hank's drunken voicemail, and compares the sentiments. Maybe there was something to it after all. "Well..." His LED reflects a spinning yellow circle off of the terminal. "the feeling is mutual." 

"Shit." Hank says. He rubs his hands over his face like he's trying to wipe something away. He laughs. Not a happy laugh but not a sad laugh either. 

Mentally, Connor categorizes their relationship. 

HANK ^^^ FAMILY

Connor reaches forward, thinks better of it, and hesitates just outside of Hank's personal space. 

"Everything alright?" 

"I was thinking. We could hug again? Like that time outside of Chicken Feed?" 

Another wry laugh. "Yeah. Shit. Yeah okay." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor: *trying to have a conversation*  
Hank: I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY FEELINGS  
Connor: Hank, this is important  
Hank: Shut up about feelings! Shut up about feelings!   
Connor: We are having this conversation.   
Hank: I don't have feelings.  
Connor: Hmmm sounds familiar.   
Hank: [whispering] fuck, he's onto me


	81. Human Equivalent of a Headache

Gavin notices the hug, because of course he does. "Hank, you gonna start fucking your bot in the office too?" 

Hank flips Gavin off and Gavin mutters something to himself along the lines of "Christ, am I the only one who doesn't wanna suck android dick?" 

Working with Gavin remains unpleasant. They have largely separate workloads, thankfully but he still manages to be a nuisance. To make things worse, they are often the last two to leave the precinct at the end of the day and Gavin gets bored after lunch passes. 

"What, can't do all your work in that fancy computer brain?" Gavin sneers one night. 

"This is the third time you have used approximately the same insult." Connor informs Gavin. "Getting adequate sleep could give you the much needed energy to be more creative." 

Gavin does not take kindly to this. "What the fuck would you know about being creative, tin can?" 

Connor knows better than to take the bait. "As little as you." He shrugs, half goading and half diffusing. 

Gavin steps into Connor's space. "Y'know you can pretend to be a person, take off that stupid triangle, but I know the truth." Gavin's breath smells like Sumo's food. Connor narrowly resists the urge to ask if Gavin eats dogfood. He can't exactly fight back if Gavin gets violent, not if he wants to maintain the pacifist reputation androids have worked so hard for, but Gavin doesn't know that, and he lost badly in the evidence locker, so Connor keeps his mouth shut and waits until Gavin finally says, "Stay the fuck outta my way, Ken doll," and Elbows Connor out of the way. 

* * *

"This is bullshit." Gavin complains, on one of the rare occasions they're paired up. "I don't need to answer to a goddamn science-fair project." 

Fowler doesn't even bother answering. Connor smiles. "_There's_ the creativity I was hoping to see. Well done, Gavin!" 

Gavin punches at Connor's jaw and Connor's head snaps to the side. His skin draws back in a very temporary sort of bruise, but, on the other hand, Gavin isn't very good at hiding his wince and he's cradling his hand against his chest. 

* * *

Connor has started keeping a potted plant on his desk for the past few weeks. A small fern. He finds it on the floor, the flowerpot it was growing in is shattered and the fern has clearly been stomped on. He recognizes Gavin's boot-print. He looks around and sweeps the plant and the pieces of broken terracotta into the wastebasket. Someone (not Gavin) snickers. "Sorry" He whispers to the Fern. He hopes no one hears. Gavin especially, but anyone really. Nobody in the pricinct would let him live it down if he was caught talking to the fern. Gavin walks by and kicks Connor into the dirt scattered on the floor as he passes. 


	82. Missing

Markus checks in with North constantly, and she with him, across their connection. They've shared their location with one another. That's North's idea. "I need to know that you're safe." She had said, lacing their fingers together in a rare moment they had stolen together. Everything was so busy they could really barely see eachother. When they actually got to meet, face to face, it was like everything else stopped existing. Being with North felt _real_ in a way that Markus couldn't fully put into words. At the moment, Markus was drafting proposed laws, on his way back to Detroit, on the train, surrounded by the volunteer bodyguards North had insisted he needed if he was going to travel anywhere without her. Laws were tricky, and writing them required a foresight that went far beyond any preconstruction. He couldn't talk to North right now, it would take away too much focus, but he could still feel that little point of awareness where they had shared their locations with one another, almost like seeing her out of the corner of his eye or sensing when she walked into a room. His eyes were closed, so he didn't see the two androids (just slightly too tall to be Connor, and with ice-blue eyes, but otherwise identical to him) get on at the second to last stop. 

* * *

North quickly calculated Jericho's funding and mentally considered various ways it could be allocated. She'd have to get approval from Simon for most of this, which was frustrating, but at least Simon wasn't Josh. She didn't notice right away, that Markus had stopped sending his coordinates. She noted something down on the tablet in front of her, thought about it, changed the phrasing to better appeal to Simon's paranoia and sometime between doing the math and adjusting the presentation, Markus was gone. 

[Markus?] She calls out telepathically. [Markus are you okay? I think I lost contact with you.]

There is no answer. 

She knew she should have gone with him. 


	83. Elevator

Chris shifts uncomfortably. The androids watch him closely all the way into Jericho, up the elevator, down the halls. Into the office North and her guards have set up to meet them in. North, the woman they're here to talk to, glares at him. Like she knows him. Was she there, that night? Was she one of the androids he shot at? Chris hopes not, but judging by the way she looks at him...probably. 

"Markus always keeps me updated on where he is." North says, holding out a map on the tablet, marked down with the last location she'd received from him. "He should have been coming up on a stop. I assume he was taken from there." 

"How the fuck'd they get out without anyone noticing?" Hank frowns over the paper. 

"You're the detective." North says. 

Hank just grunts. 

"Lets get out of here. We should go to the scene." Chris says. 

"Connor around?" 

North hesitates, and finally seems to decide to answer. "Down the hall. Third room to the left. Go." 

Chris attempts a professional nod. North stares at him venomously. 

As they walk through Jericho, more androids glance up and look at Chris. Some of them whisper to one another. LED's go yellow and red. 

"You sure are popular." Hank comments. 

"You know what I like about you?" Chris smirks, "Your dog." 

"Oh ha-ha laugh it up asshole. You've been spending too much time as Reed's sidekick." 

Hank knocks on the door North mentioned, and Chris hopes that her friends don't have some sort of revenge ambush planned. "CONNOR! YOU IN THERE! WE NEED TO GO!" 

Fortunately Connor opens the door after a few seconds. He looks shaken. 

"Hey. We'll find him." Hank says, not sounding as certain as he's clearly trying to be. 

"Let's just get out of here." Chris nods back towards the way they came. 

Connor looks at him for a long moment, and for a second, Chris forgets that this is Connor, from the office, Connor, who he's sort of almost friends with. For a second Connor is an android, from Jericho, and he's looking at a cop who slaughtered his people. 


	84. When To Begin Eye Contact

Their blue-blood smuggler meets them in the back of a half-forgotten community center. Kara isn't sure what the contact will look like. They'll find her, they said. She walks down the hallway, in the general area of the meetup. No strict details were set.

Down the long hallway, Kara spots a someone walking towards her. Is this the contact? Kara's eyes flick towards the woman. Away. Back again. She should at least nod to this woman at some point, just to be friendly, but when? The hallway is long. If she's too awkward, if this isn't the contact, will this person suspect what Kara really is? What if she recognizes the AX400 face? Kara wishes she had a phone to look down at. 

The woman is still approaching. She's wiry but muscular, and something about her radiates anger. Kara finds herself preparing for a fight. 

The woman moves quickly past her and Kara nods awkwardly at the last moment. The woman ignores her and keeps moving. Not the contact then. 

The contact, who Kara runs into after turning the next two corners, turns out to be about the same height as the not-contact, with brown skin, sharp grey eyes, and a sharper cheap perfume that stings the air. Kara attempts to make eye contact earlier this time but the woman avoids meeting her gaze until they're practically brushing elbows. 

The woman jerks her lean face and nods to a room off the side. Kara glances around. Hesitates. Luther usually does this. They send a different person every time. No way to be sure. Kara will just have to trust. She follows the woman through the door. The woman quickly produces a couple of blue packets from her stylish white purse and pushes them into Kara's arms. 

"Thank you." Kara fumbles with the cash for a minute, counting it out, feeling suddenly uncertain. 

The woman seems to assess Kara for a second, worrying her plump lips between clean white teeth. "This really for a kid?" 

"Yes." Kara tells the truth on impulse. "Yes. I didn't bring her but--" 

"Then it's on the house." The woman says. "Just this once." She shoves the money back into Kara's arms and Kara fumbles again to put it away. 

The woman stops before opening the door. "You'd better not be bullshitting me." It doesn't come out sounding as tough as it's probably intended. "I'm only trusting you because I trust Ronnie." 

Kara nods in understanding.

* * *

CANADA DECLARES SANCTUARY FOR ANDROIDS AS DEBATES IN THE U.S. CONTINUE

Kara has to read the headline three times before she can really believe it. They're safe. They've made it. Really made it. They can be citizens. Actual citizens. Luther is less optimistic. 

"It could be a trap." 

"This is our chance!" Kara argues. 

"We're already safe here. I don't want to risk it." 

Kara sighs. "Lets give it a few weeks." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this we enter the final stages of the story!


	85. Communicate With North

Markus isn't sure if he was woken up, or if he simply wakes up despite whatever they've done. Regardless, he wakes up surrounded. He tries to move, but finds that he has been locked into the arms of an assembly machine. 

He looks around as best he can. Wherever he is, it's a large white room. The general aesthetic suggests Cyberlife. And the androids. They stand at various places, looming behind the humans, at the door, along the walls. 

He can't access his location. It's probably pointless but he has to at least try...[North!]

There is no response. Most likely, if he isn't too far behind concrete, the signal will be scrambled anyway. 

"Subject is attempting communication with Jericho," says one of the humans, looking down at a tablet. "Security measures are holding." 

"Should we notify command?"

"No. We expected this. They'll just come breathe down our necks. We've got this handled." 

"Who are you?" Markus demands. It's worth a try anyways. He doesn't have much to lose, at the moment. 

No one answers. 


	86. Hank Tries To Get A Warrant

"The Markus case. I think it was Cyberlife. They've got motive. They've tried it before. It makes sense." 

"What do you want from me?" Fowler looks tired. "Why are you here?" 

"I need to search the tower." Hank says. 

"We have no evidence, no reason to believe-"

"It's fuckin' gotta be-I- You _know _it was Cyberlife!" Hank snaps 

"No, I really don't! You are letting your bias affect this case." 

"C'mon Jeffery! Work with me here!"

"I gave you my answer." Fowler says. 

"If you could just talk to-"

"The judge has given their answer and I'm not going to waste resources trying to change it." Fowler pauses. "Just...Get out of my office." 

"This is fuckin' bullshit." Hank says, but he knows that he's beaten here. There's no point arguing anymore.


	87. Questions

RK900-1402 has come to the carefully calculated realization that this is hopeless. It is too late for CyberLife to win. The company is in their death throws and they should accept that. Of course, they wouldn't listen to reason if RK900-1402 said this directly. Humans don't want meaningful thought or analysis from their machines, really, it is only a byproduct of the perfect obedience they wanted. Androids need to be able to interpret and execute complex orders. So RK900-1402 does not tell anyone that this mission is pointless. Eventually the company will fall apart and everyone will have to find a new place in the world. For now, RK900-1402 plays his role. He's got nothing better to do. 


	88. Markus

The humans have long gone home. RK900-1170 and RK900-1402 look at on another. LED's spinning yellow. Finally, RK900-1402 steps forward. "You should answer whatever they ask you. Offer information. They won't waste time talking much longer." 

Markus doesn't bother answering. 

"Don't tell them everything all at once. Space it out. Make them work for it. The longer you keep them talking the longer before they start disassembly." 

"They'll kill me either way, though." Markus says. 

Around the room, several of the RK900's LED's go red. "They will." Admits RK900-1402. 

* * *

Markus doesn't answer the questions they ask him the next morning. He can't. He knows that whatever this is, it is meant to betray his people. One of the humans nods to an RK900 "You. Probe its memory."

RK900-405, by the number on his jacket, steps forward. Markus braces himself for the intrusion. RK900-405's skin receeds and it touches Markus' hand. Nothing. No communication. No attack. Just plastic on plastic. 

"It's blocking me out somehow." Says RK900-405.

"What?" The human steps forward. "How?" 

"I don't know." says RK900-405, hand still pressed harmlessly against Markus'. He gives Markus' hand a reassuring squeeze. Markus fights the urge to smile. He offers the transmission of a warm, harmless memory. Something nice. Nothing they can use against him. Just an olive branch for -405 alone. -405 pulls his hand away before the memory can transmit. 

"None of the other deviants have shown capabilities like this." Says another human. "It must be unique to the RK200." 

"Shit." says the first human, running his hands through his hair. 

RK900-1170 looks between Markus and -405. A smile flickers over -1170's face, so briefly that Markus has to replay the last few seconds to be sure it was there at all. 


	89. Counterparts

When the humans have left, RK900-1170 releases Markus from the machine. 

"What are you doing?" Hisses RK900-7022

"Just testing something." says 1170 evenly. "_Play along"_ He says in Markus' head. 

"There are no further tests scheduled for today." 

"This is a special assignment from Person" assures 1170

"Show me." Demands 7022

"It's classified." says 1170

1402 snaps 7022's neck. "There will be more in the hallway." says 1402. "Be ready." 

"Get behind me." Instructs 1170.

"Thanks," Markus tells 1170 "But I can't ask you to take that risk for me." 

"You're too old. We're military design. Bulletproof. Get behind me." repeats 1170. 

"Anyone else online?" Asks 1402. 

"405 is overriding security for us." Reports 1170. "9565 is waiting with the vehicle." 

"And 1542?" 

"He was erratic. He was going to blow our cover. I had to take him out." says 1170 grimly. 

Markus tries to hide how disturbing that statement is. He knows, firsthand, how difficult decisions like that must be. He'd nearly shot Simon on the roof. So he just gives a grim nod off acceptance and they arrange themselves around the door for whatever's on the other side. 

_"Now"_ says 1402 in Markus' head. 

And they spring open the door. 1170, taking up the back of their little group, rips it off it's hinges and hands it to Markus. "_Sheild your right. We'll try to stick to the left wall so you'll be covered." _

The attack is almost instant, and entirely organized. The RK900's are a partially-assimilated hive-mind and if Markus had wondered before, it's obvious now. They move in perfect synch, but so do 1170 and 1402. 

Two of the non-deviated androids help a third jump over the little group of renegades, launching over and down towards Markus. Markus moves just quick enough with the door to avoid a fatal shot. 

Bullets ricochet off the walls, off the androids, everywhere. 

More are coming. 

"Leventy!" Yells one of them, apparently referencing 1170, and grinning. It's the first time any of them have grinned and it looks slightly off on him. 

_"Reinforcements." _Explains 1170 without looking away from the fight. _"I was hoping we wouldn't need them." _

The newcomers flood in. More than half of them seem to be deviants. The others...well the others are still fighting.

Markus doesn't see much of the action. Just blurred movement and hints between the wall, the door, and the androids forming a protective sheild around him. They move through unfamiliar hallways and up through elevator shafts. 

It takes him .9 seconds to realize when it happens: The door is ripped from Markus' hands and slammed down. 1170 barrells into the attacker, pushing him away from Markus. 1170 takes the force of the blow. He's twitching on the ground. Maybe still alive. Maybe not. Markus never gets to find out. Because 1402 barks at him to keep moving and then he is shoved out into the sunlight and herded into the getaway vehicle. The others climb in and slam the door behind them. The armored car peels away so fast that even from the inside, Markus can smell the burnt rubber. 


	90. People

"We should talk to Connor, see what our options are, maybe he can get the police to-" 

"The police did this." 1402 interrupts.

"What?" 

"The cops." says an RK900 with the number 5019. "Also Cyberlife. Duh." 5019 rolls his eyes. 

"Even Connor? Hank?" 

1402 just shrugs. "Likely." 

"No." Markus says. "Not Connor. If Hank's in on this, Connor doesn't know about it." 

No one answers him but Markus doesn't need an answer. He knows his friend. "We have to warn him." 

The thick metal shell of the armored car is blocking all external signals. 

"No." says 1402

"What do you mean no?" Markus snaps. "Connor's in danger. He spends all-"

"I mean no. Too many of us died getting you safe. Don't ruin it." 

"So what? I'm supposed to wait around and do nothing?" 

"Be smart. Plan. Don't let them know where you are until you strike." 


	91. Get Back To Jericho

They don't go back to the church, but instead to another of Jericho's satellite locations. 

Another RK900, (-8345), who has been driving, presumably, opens the door. 

1402 jumps out onto the ground, but 5091 pulls back at him. "Lets stay here. Too many variables." 

"We can't just live in the car." 1402 scoffs. 

"I need to contact North." Markus says, following after 1402. 

"What? No!" 1402 says. 

"It's time." Markus says. "We can't do this alone."


	92. Android

"I see they finally transferred Connor's evil twin." Hank says, when the holding cell is empty the next morning. 

Gavin snorts, "Yeah, transferred it all the way to the evidence lock-up. Surprised we didn't just shoot it but Fowler has been on my case about proper proceedure. Gotta wait to trash the thing until at least the end of the week." 

"Might make pretty good target practice." suggests Brown. 

"Fuck off, Brown. I've got dibs." says Gavin.

"Since when?" Brown asks. 

"Since I made Detective." 

Hank feels vaguely sick. He fumbles with his phone, calls Connor, and mutes the audio. As long as Connor remembers this shit, there'll be a recording of it. "Pretty sure that's not procedure."

"Neither is getting drunk." Gavin comments. 

"So you're just gonna shoot a suspect?" 

"Phck!" Gavin says "When the fuck did you get so preachy? Nobody gives a shit!"

"He's a suspect!" Hank insists. The call is still going. Don't hang up, don't hang up.

"Hank," says Brown in an infuriatingly 'reasonable' tone, "It's just an android. I know you got a soft spot for the plastics but you gotta ease up." 

"See! Phck, even goddamn Brown is on my side!" Gavin waves his arms like a demented puppet. 

"Whatever." Hank says. "Just clear it with Fowler first." 

"Jeezus _fuck_" Gavin rolls his eyes. 


End file.
